*»  ^NNI 


"SOME   ONE   HAS   BETRAYED   US." 


Frontispiece.     Page  196. 


THE    GAMBLERS 

A  STORY  OF  TO-DAY 


BY 

CHARLES  KLEIN 

AND 

ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 

Authors  of  the  Novels  "The  Lion  and  the  Mouse,'*  "The 
Third  Degree,"    "  John  Marsh's  Millions,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
C.   E.   CHAMBERS 


G.  W.  DILLINGHAM  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


THE   GAMBLERS 

CHAPTER  I 

riXTRA!   Big  Bank  Failure!   Extra!!!" 
i  7         Half    a    dozen    ragged,   hoarse-voiced, 
whisky-visaged  messengers  of  misfortune, 
colloquially  known  as  "calamity  howlers,"  shuffled 
along  Fifth  Avenue  with  rapid,  sinister  gait,  crying 
in  lugubrious,  raucous  tones  their  tidings  of  dis- 
tress : 

"Big  Bank  Wreck!    Extra!    Extra!!" 

Bent  almost  double  by  the  weight  of  newspapers, 
breathless  from  their  unusual  exertions,  each  striv- 
ing furiously  to  outsell  his  fellow,  the  vendors 
halted  here  and  there  and,  from  points  of  vantage 
on  the  curb,  handed  out  papers  to  ready  purchas- 
ers, who,  nervous  and  anxious  eyed,  crowded 
around  and  eagerly  snatched  the  copies  not  yet  dry 
from  the  press 

The  Avenue,  this  glorious  Autumn  afternoon, 
presented  its  customary  aspect  of  fashionable  ac- 
tivity. From  Twenty-third  Street  to  the  magnifi- 

7 


THE    GAMBLERS 


cent  new  Public  Library,  and  as  far  north  as  Cen- 
tral Park,  the  sidewalks  were  thronged  with  styl- 
ishly dressed,  well-bred  men  and  women.  Society 
was  sunning  itself,  glad  of  the  occasion  to  show 
off  its  clothes.  Fat  dowagers  with  pampered  pet 
poodles,  handsome  young  matrons,  society  debu- 
tantes, millionaires,  powerful  Wall  Street  mag- 
nates, prominent  politicians,  bankers,  lawyers,  mer- 
chants, musicians,  authors,  painters,  playwrights — 
all  these,  the  elite  of  the  American  plutocracy,  men 
and  women  conspicuous  in  finance,  politics,  litera- 
ture and  art  were  on  parade,  promenading  up  and 
down  with  leisurely  nonchalance.  Laughing  and 
talking,  they  passed  and  repassed,  now  entering 
or  leaving  the  luxuriously  appointed  shops,  now 
stopping  to  exchange  a  word  with  a  passing  ac- 
quaintance, now  saluting  friends  who  swept  swiftly 
by  in  motor  cars — a  curious,  cultured  crowd,  an 
ever-changing,  intermingling,  always  interesting 
kaleidoscope  of  fashion.  Out  in  the  roadway,  where 
hundreds  of  smart  automobiles  and  handsome 
equipages  were  hopelessly  entangled,  stalwart 
mounted  policemen  regulated  the  congested  traffic 
by  a  mere  gesture  of  their  white-gloved  hands. 

8 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Extra!  Big  Bank  Failure!  Extra!!!" 
The  dismal,  mournful  cry,  taken  up  in  succession 
in  different  funereal  keys  by  each  professional 
"croaker,"  was  singularly  depressing  and  disturb- 
ing. Purposely  indistinct  and  incoherent,  the  vag- 
abonds' jargon  was  so  unintelligible  that  it  was 
impossible  to  guess  the  nature  of  the  extraordinary 
news  which  occasioned  so  much  ado,  but  there  was 
no  mistaking  in  their  melancholy  tones  the  sombre 
accents  of  disaster.  Like  a  dreadful,  long-drawn- 
out  human  wail,  it  told  of  sudden  calamity,  some 
unexpected  and  dire  catastrophe.  The  promena- 
ders  on  the  Avenue,  instantly  seized  by  an  uneasy, 
uncontrollable  feeling  of  apprehension  and  inse- 
curity, stopped  and  listened,  straining  ears  to  make 
sense  out  of  the  discordant  sounds.  Pauper  and 
plutocrat,  all  for  the  nonce  were  on  an  equal  foot- 
ing. Danger  of  some  sort  threatened.  Men  looked 
anxious;  women  nervous.  A  bank  in  trouble?  It 
might  be  their  depositary!  Immediately  filled  with 
misgivings,  they  pictured  the  worst.  Perhaps  every 
dollar  they  possessed  in  the  world  was  gone. 

A  tall,  handsome  girl,  of  aristocratic  appearance 
and  richly  gowned  in  clinging  chiffon  velvet  with 

9 


THH    GAMBLERS 


a  large  plumed  picture  hat,  ran  up  to  a  man  who 
was  passing. 

"Oh,  Jim!"  she  exclaimed  nervously.  "I'm  so 
glad  I  met  you !  Do  tell  me  what  those  horrid  men 
are  shouting.  All  I  can  make  out  is  'Bank.'  I'm 
so  worried!  I  hope  nothing's  happened  to  my 
bank." 

James  Darwin  looked  up  in  pleased  surprise.  A 
good-looking,  college-bred  man  of  about  thirty- 
five,  with  square,  athletic  shoulders,  a  determined 
mouth  crowned  by  a  short  mustache,  and  cold, 
steel-blue  eyes,  he  looked  the  kind  of  man  likely 
to  give  a  good  account  of  himself  either  in  a  fight 
or  an  argument.  He  had  a  newspaper  in  his  hand 
and,  engrossed  in  reading  as  he  walked,  had  not 
noticed  the  girl's  approach.  Stopping  short  and 
raising  his  hat,  he  looked  admiringly  at  his  inter- 
locutor : 

"How  stunning  you  look,  Kathryn !  I'm  awfully 
glad  you  saw  me.  I  was  so  busy  reading  this  vilely 
printed  sheet  that  I  might  have  missed  you.  Where 
have  you  been?" 

"I've  just  come  from  Mrs.  Thurston's.  It's  her 
day  at  home.  Isabel  Emerson  was  there  and  her 

10 


THE    GAMBLERS 


brother  Wilbur  and  a  lot  of  people  you  know.     It 
was  rather  jolly." 

The  man  frowned.  With  a  tinge  of  sarcasm  he 
said: 

"Wilbur  Emerson  there,  eh?  Hasn't  he  anything 
better  to  do  than  waste  his  afternoons  cackling 
with  a  lot  of  old  hens  ?  I  should  think  that  he  had 
enough  to  attend  to  at  his  father's  bank  without 
wasting  his  time  at  tea  parties.  I  never  did  think 
he  was  much  good." 

The  girl  laughed  lightly  and  laid  a  slender, 
gloved  hand  on  his  arm. 

"Don't  talk  like  that,  Jim,  or  people  will  say 
you're  jealous.  Don't  forget  that  the  Emersons  are 
very  good  friends  of  mine."  With  mock  severity 
she  added :  "I've  a  right  to  choose  my  friends.  Re- 
member that,  sir!" 

He  nodded  rather  sulkily.  Then,  laughing  it 
off,  he  said: 

"Where  are  you  going?" 

"I'm  on  my  way  home.  I  heard  those  men  cry- 
ing 'Extra!'  and  I  got  nervous  about  my  money. 
You  know  all  papa  left  me  is  in  bank — my  whole 
fortune.  What's  the  trouble?" 

TI 


THE    GAMBLERS 


He  looked  at  her  with  an  amused  expression  on 
his  face. 

"Don't  pay  any  attention  to  them,"  he  laughed. 
"You're  foolish  to  worry;  it'll  spoil  your  good 
looks.  Come  and  have  tea  with  me  at  the  Plaza." 

The  girl"  shook  her  head ;  hesitatingly  she  said : 

"I'd  like  to,  Jim,  but  when  I  left  home  I  prom- 
ised Aunt  Mary " 

"Oh,  d n  Aunt  Mary!" 

"Jim!"  protested  the  girl. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  mean  that.  Aunt  Mary's  a  dear  old 
soul,  of  course;  but  she'll  excuse  you  if  you're  a 
few  minutes  late.  Please  come!" 

Putting  his  arm  affectionately  through  hers  with 
the  easy  familiarity  that  suggests  proprietorship, 
he  led  the  way,  despite  her  mild  protests,  in  the  di- 
rection of  Fifty-ninth  Street. 

James  Darwin  had  known  Kathryn  Forster  ever 
since  they  were  children.  They  had,  so  to  speak, 
grown  up  together.  Their  respective  parents,  mem- 
bers of  two  old  Knickerbocker  families,  had  been 
intimate  friends  for  nearly  half  a  century  and  for 
a  good  many  years  had  resided  in  adjacent  man- 
sions in  Washington  Square,  which  at  that  time 

12 


THE    GAMBLERS 


was  still  one  of  the  most  fashionable  and  desirable 
sections  in  the  city.  Kathryn's  mother  having  died 
in  childbirth  the  care  of  the  girl's  bringing  up  was 
intrusted  to  her  father's  sister,  a  prim,  yet  good- 
natured  and  entirely  lovable  spinster,  whom  every- 
body knew  as  "Aunt  Mary."  Mr.  Forster  and  Mr. 
Darwin  were  both  prominent  members  of  the  bar, 
so  the  two  families  naturally  saw  a  good  deal  of 
one  another,  and  the  young  folks,  particularly,  were 
most  intimate. 

Even  in  those  early  days  it  was  jestingly  said 
that  Jim  Darwin  and  Kathryn  Forster  would  marry 
when  they  grew  up,  and  the  youngsters  heard  it 
repeated  so  often  that  they  began  to  look  upon  it 
as  a  matter  of  course,  an  arrangement  already 
made  in  advance  with  which  they  had  had  nothing 
to  do  and  from  which  there  was  neither  appeal  nor 
escape.  Not  that  either  of  them  was  greatly  op- 
posed to  the  plan.  James,  a  tall,  handsome  boy,  if 
somewhat  headstrong  and  self-centred,  was  noth- 
ing loath  to  carry  out  his  part  of  the  bargain.  Cer- 
tainly he  liked  Kathryn  better  than  any  other  girl  he 
knew.  Secretly,  he  admired  her  large,  flashing 
dark  eyes,  her  full  red  lips,  her  haughty,  well-bred 

13 


THE    GAMBLERS 


carriage.  If  he  had  any  fault  to  find,  it  was  that, 
conscious  of  her  beauty,  she  was  somewhat  of  a 
flirt,  and  permitted  other  youthful  admirers  to  pay 
her  attention.  This  often  led  to  angry  words. 
They  quarreled  and  made  up  again,  until  at  last 
their  early  school  days  were  over  and  they  parted- 
he  to  go  to  the  University,  she  to  make  her  debut 
in  society  under  the  aegis  of  the  watchful  and  kindly 
Aunt  Mary. 

After  leaving  college  with  his  B.A.,  James  Dar- 
win entered  law  school,  where  he  gave  every  prom- 
ise of  one  day  becoming  a  jurist  of  uncommon 
force  and  brilliancy.  For  keen,  incisive  logic,  skill 
in  analysis  and  power  in  oratory  he  was  unsur- 
passed by  any  man  of  his  year.  Admitted  to -the 
bar,  he  joined  a  well-known  firm  of  criminal  law- 
yers and,  entrusted  with  the  conduct  of  an  impor- 
tant case,  fought  his  first  legal  battle  in  court. 
Ambitious  to  make  a  success  of  this  maiden  effort, 
he  gave  to  it  all  the  attention  and  energy  of  which 
he  was  capable.  His  fresh,  vigorous  young  mind 
quickly  mastered  the  complex  features  of  the  evi- 
dence, and  he  astonished  the  court  and  spectators 
alike  with  the  skill  and  rapidity  with  which  he 


THE    GAMBLERS 


handled  the  witnesses.  His  hard  logic  and  biting 
sarcasm  were  unanswerable,  his  eloquence  irresisti- 
ble. He  flayed  his  opponents  relentlessly,  merci- 
lessly. The  trial  was  hardly  begun  when  the  op- 
posing attorneys  were  completely  routed  and  the 
case  was  won  for  his  clients. 

From  that  time  on  every  one  knew  that  James 
Darwin  was  a  man  to  reckon  with.  He,  himself, 
wished  to  get  into  public  life;  he  was  eager  to  grap- 
ple with  the  vital,  pulsating  questions  of  the  day. 
Vigorous  mentally  as  well  as  physically,  he  was  a 
born  fighter  and  never  was  so  happy  as  when  in 
the  heat  of  the  fray.  Friends  advised  him  to  go 
into  politics.  If  he  could  win  the  district  attorney- 
ship  there  was  no  reason  why  he  should  not  one 
day  be  governor.  The  thought  thrilled  him.  Why 
not?  That  should  be  his  goal — the  governorship! 
Friends,  pleasures,  he  would  allow  nothing  to  deter 
him.  Nothing  should  stand  in  the  way  of  his  am- 
bition. 

No  one  had  watched  his  progress  and  rejoiced  in 
his  success  more  than  Kathryn  Forster.  Her  father 
having  died  in  the  interim,  leaving  his  affairs  some- 
what entangled,  she  and  Aunt  Mary  had  been 

15 


THE    GAMBLERS 


forced  to  sell  the  Washington  Square  house  and 
take  an  apartment  further  uptown.  When  the  es- 
tate was  settled  Kathryn  found  herself  with  a  small 
fortune,  the  income  of  which,  by  the  practice  of 
economy,  was  enough  for  a  single  young  woman 
to  live  on  until  she  married,  especially  as  Aunt 
Mary  had  a  private  income  of  her  own.  Kathryn 
did  not  have  quite  as  many  frocks  as  formerly,  yet 
that  did  not  prevent  her  being  one  of  the  best- 
gowned  and  most  attractive  girls  in  New  York. 

Every  one  wondered  why  she  did  not  marry. 
When  a  girl  reaches  the  age  of  twenty-two  it  is 
about  time  she  made  up  her  mind.  It  was  not  that 
suitors  were  lacking.  Everybody  considered  that 
she  and  Darwin  were  as  good  as  engaged.  The 
attorney  was  as  infatuated  with  her  now  as  he  had 
ever  been,  and  she  seemed  to  take  great  pleasure 
in  his  company.  In  fact,  all  the  men  were  wild 
about  her.  She  had  as  many  as  half  a  dozen  pro- 
posals in  one  season.  People  could  not  understand 
why  she  did  not  accept  one  of  these  eager  swains 
and  have  done  with  it 

There  was  a  reason — perhaps  two  reasons. 
Kathryn  was  not,  as  some  people  hinted,  a  heartless 

16 


THE    GAMBLERS 


coquette.  She  simply  could  not  make  up  her  mind. 
As  a  companion  she  liked  James  Darwin  better 
perhaps  than  any  man  she  knew.  She  admired  his 
breadth  of  mind,  his  keen  intellectual  outlook  on 
life.  Herself  fond  of  books,  and  interested  in 
the  scientific  and  sociological  problems  of  the  day, 
a  man  of  Darwin's  mentality  appealed  to  her  very 
strongly.  She  thought  that  any  girl  might  con- 
sider herself  lucky  to  capture  him  for  a  husband. 
There  was  no  telling  to  what  heights  he  might 
climb.  An  ambitious  girl,  ready  to  subordinate 
everything  to  her  social  advancement,  would  ask, 
expect  nothing  else,  but  Kathryn,  not  yet  entirely 
spoiled  by  the  world,  paused  at  the  brink.  A  dozen 
times  Darwin  had  urged  her  to  marry  him,  and 
each  time  she  had  avoided  giving  him  a  decided 
answer.  She  hesitated  because  when  she  came  to 
analyze  her  feelings  she  did  not  believe  in  her  own 
heart  that  she  loved  him.  Instinct  told  her  that  a 
woman  should  feel  quite  differently  towards  the 
man  she  marries. 

There  was  also  a  second  reason,  and  this,  per- 
haps, was  the  real  one.  There  was  another  man 
in  the  case.  Aunt  Mary  and  the  others  frowned 

17 


THE    GAMBLERS 


on  Wilbur  Emerson,  and  said  unkind  things  about 
him.  He  was  not  intellectual;  far  from  it.  He 
was  fond  of  high  living  and  gambling;  in  fact,  he 
was  a  good  deal  of  an  all-round  black  sheep. 
Kathryn  was  fully  aware  of  all  this,  but  she  liked 
him  just  the  same.  Somehow  black  sheep  have  a 
way  of  ingratiating  themselves  into  one's  affections, 
and  perhaps  secretly  she  was  more  attracted  to 
Wilbur  Emerson  by  his  vices  than  by  his  good 
qualities.  When,  in  moments  of  self -analysis,  she 
probed  deeply  into  her  heart,  she  knew  that  she 
cared  more  for  her  friend  Isabel's  brother  than 
even  she  herself  was  willing  to  admit. 

The  crowds  on  the  Avenue  were  getting  bigger 
each  minute.  It  was  getting  late.  The  hour  for 
Fashion's  parade  was  over.  Soon  the  offices  and 
shops  would  close  and  then  the  tremendous  army  of 
wage  earners  would  issue  from  their  hives  and  make 
a  mad  rush  for  Harlem  and  home.  The  carriage 
traffic  was  so  congested  that  the  roadway  was  en- 
tirely blocked.  Exasperated  drivers  vociferated,  au- 
tomobiles sounded  their  horns.  Above  the  din  and 
turmoil  was  heard  at  intervals  the  lugubrious  cries 
of  the  newspaper  vendors : 

18 


THE    GAMBLERS 


''Extra!  Special  Extra!!  Big  Bank  Fail- 
ure!!!" 

Kathryn  turned  impatiently  to  her  escort. 

"What  are  those  wretched-looking  creatures  call- 
ing? What  has  happened?  Do  tell  me." 

"A  bank  gone  up,  that's  all!"  replied  Danvin 
laconically.  WTith  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders,  he  went 
on:  "A  commonplace  enough  incident  these  days. 
The  way  some  banks  do  business,  it  is  surprising 
that  any  of  them  are  solvent." 

Kathryn  was  interested  in  banks,  not  only  be- 
cause she  had  a  few  thousand  on  deposit,  but  be- 
cause she  knew  the  Emersons  so  intimately. 
Quickly  she  said: 

"It's  not  the  Emerson  Bank,  is  it?" 

Darwin  laughed. 

"Not  yet,"  he  said  grimly.  "The  Emerson  Bank 
has  always  been  considered  one  of  the  safest  and 
most  conservative  financial  institutions  in  the  city, 
but  there  is  no  telling  what  may  happen  when  that 
precious  son  of  the  old  man  gets  control.  How- 
ever, I  guess  it's  safe  enough  for  the  present,  al- 
though I  hear  that  Wilbur  Emerson  is  getting  more 
and  more  of  his  own  way  in  the  management.  No; 

19 


THE    GAMBLERS 


this  bank  that  has  failed  is  one  of  those  wildcat 
concerns  that  are  crooked  from  the  start.  They 
open  splendid  offices  with  a  fine  array  of  names — 
mostly  dummies — on  their  directorate,  inveigle  the 
public  into  giving-  up  their  money  and  then  after  a 
brief  but  meteoric  career  close  their  doors." 

Becoming  more  earnest  and  vehement  as  he  pro- 
ceeded, he  went  on  angrily: 

"If  I  were  on  the  bench  I'd  take  the  greatest  de- 
light in  sending  these  scoundrels  to  the  penitentiary. 
They're  the  meanest  kind  of  thieves,  for  they  delib- 
erately rob  the  widow  and  the  orphan.  Our  entire 
banking  system  is  rotten.  The  banking  laws  af- 
ford crooks  too  many  opportunities.  It's  simply 
amazing  what  some  bankers  are  permitted  to  do. 
You've  no  idea  what  the  conditions  are.  Being  a 
woman,  more  interested  in  styles  than  in  cheque- 
kiting,  it  isn't  natural  that  you  should " 

Instantly  she  resented  his  gratuitous  insinuation 
that  the  feminine  mind  was  incapable  of  grasping 
matters  of  serious  import.  With  pretended  indig- 
nation, she  retorted: 

"If  women  are  not  interested  in  finance,  it  is  the 
fault  of  you  men.  Do  you  ever  take  the  trouble 

20 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  explain?    Please  don't  be  so  sarcastic.     Tell  me 
how  these  banks  get  into  all  this  trouble." 

Seeing  that  she  was  an  interested  listener  he  out- 
lined present-day  conditions  as  they  were.  The 
fault,  he  said,  was  the  extravagance  of  the  times. 
It  was  an  age  of  foolish,  reckless  expenditures, 
insensate  greed  for  gold.  Men  sold  their  souls  to 
procure  means  to  indulge  their  vices,  their  passions, 
their  love  of  luxury  and  show.  Every  one  was  liv- 
ing at  too  fast  a  pace.  We  lived  in  an  era  of 
criminal  waste  and  prodigality.  People  were  money 
mad.  The  automobile  craze  had  added  immensely 
to  the  cost  of  living.  Men  ran  into  debt,  mortgaged 
their  homes  so  they  might  possess  fast-running, 
death-dealing  machines.  Women  squandered  for- 
tunes on  their  personal  finery,  on  hats,  gowns,  furs, 
jewels,  dinner  parties,  each  striving  to  outdo  the 
other.  No  ordinary  income  sufficed  to  meet  such 
extraordinary  expenses.  Desperate  for  money  to 
pay  the  cost  of  these  luxurious  follies,  the  men 
were  driven  to  procure  it  by  illegitimate 
means.  They  went  into  Wall  Street.  They 
became  gamblers.  In  the  treacherous,  danger- 
ous stock  market  game  they  stood  to  win — or 
to  lose — millions  of  dollars.  Inoculated  with  the 
deadly  national  ailment — the  get-rich-quick  fever — 

21 


THE    GAMBLERS 


they  stopped  at  nothing  in  their  race  for  great 
wealth — not  even  at  crime. 

"Crime?"  echoed  Kathryn,  with  a  light  laugh. 
"Isn't  that  a  little  strong,  Jim?  Surely  you 
wouldn't  put  a  banker  in  the  same  class  as  a  com- 
mon burglar." 

"Why  not?"  he  retorted.  "All  men  are  equal 
before  the  law.  If  a  man  breaks  the  law,  he  be- 
comes a  malefactor,  no  matter  whether  he  be  rich 
or  poor.  These  gamblers — these  get-rich-quick 
financiers — are  all  crooks  at  heart.  They  dress  well, 
talk  smoothly,  cultivate  nice  people,  but  they're 
crooks,  all  the  same.  They're  worse  than  the  com- 
mon crook,  because,  coming  from  good  families, 
they've  been  well  educated,  and  ought  to  know 
better.  But  it's  in  their  blood  to  be  crooks.  They 
simply  can't  help  it."  Pointing  at  the  splendid  resi- 
dences which  they  were  passing,  he  added:  "More 
than  one  man  who  not  so  long  ago  owned  one  of 
those  houses  and  entertained  there  in  princely  fash- 
ion is  now  doing  time  in  the  penitentiary." 

"But  how  do  they  get  into  trouble?"  demanded 
Kathryn  perplexed. 

The  bankers  she  knew  were  all  highly  prosper- 

22 


THB    GAMBLERS 


ous,  eminently  respectable  people,  and  it  seemed 
preposterous  that  such  prominent  members  of  the 
community  would  jeopardize  their  social  status  by 
offending  in  a  way  not  only  to  bring  upon  their 
heads  social  ostracism,  but  also  the  wrath  and  pun- 
ishment of  the  State. 

Darwin  shrugged  his  shoulders, 

"Oh,  they  don't  go  into  it  at  first  with  the  de- 
liberate intention  to  be  dishonest.  They  are  led 
along  the  crooked  path  step  by  step.  At  first  it  ap- 
pears to  the  banker  only  as  a  perfectly  legitimate 
operation  in  high  finance.  He  needs  money  des- 
perately. His  expenses  are  enormous,  far  beyond 
his  income.  Heroic  measures  alone  can  help  him 
to  meet  them.  At  any  cost  he  must  keep  in  the 
social  swim,  so  he  joins  the  gamblers — the  fra- 
ternity who  raise  the  wind  by  the  exercise  of  their 
wits.  He  takes  a  plunge  into  Wall  Street  with 
money  which,  as  president  of  his  bank,  he  has  tem- 
porarily 'borrowed'  from  the  funds  entrusted  to 
its  care.  That  is  his  first  step  in  crime.  He  finds 
he  is  unable  to  replace  the  money.  Any  day  the 
bank  examiners  may  come  on  their  visit  of  inspec- 
tion. It  is  clear  that  he  must  cover  up  his  tracks 

23 


THE    GAMBLERS 


or  go  to  jail.  Disgrace,  ruin  await  him.  In  a  des- 
perate attempt  to  escape  the  inevitable,  he  goes 
deeper  into  the  mire.  Not  content  with  being  a 
thief,  he  becomes  a  forger  as  well.  He  extends  his 
operations  and  as  he  finds  it  easier  to  filch  from 
several  banks  than  from  one,  he  lays  his  plans  to 
secure  control  over  a  chain  of  banks,  all  of  which 
he  forces  to  do  his  bidding. 

"Too  many  of  them,"  he  went  on,  "are  playing 
the  dangerous  game — using  the  money  of  unsus- 
pecting depositors  to  further  their  own  schemes. 
Sometimes  they  get  in  too  deep  and  then  there's  a 
smash,  as  in  this  instance.  The  method  is  very 
simple.  An  unscrupulous  man,  by  stock  purchase, 
secures  a  controlling  voice  in  a  certain  bank.  Hav- 
ing control  he  forces  that  bank  to  comply  with  his 
wishes.  He  approves  'loans'  on  the  flimsiest  se- 
curity, he  lends  himself  huge  sums  on  notes  signed 
by  ten-dollar-a-week  clerks.  With  the  money  thus 
wrongfully  obtained,  he  buys  control  in  another 
bank  and  then  he  has  the  funds  of  two  banks  to 
dabble  in  instead  of  one.  And  so  it  goes,  until 
sometimes  these  so-called  Napoleons  of  Finance 
control  a  chain  of  ten  or  fifteen  banks,  representing 

24 


THE    GAMBLERS 


an  aggregate  of  capital  piling  up  into  the  millions. 

"For  a  time  all  goes  well — the  get-rich-quick 
financier  is  the  man  of  the  hour.  Having  plenty 
of  money  he  is  lionized  socially,  looked  up  to,  ad- 
mired by  everybody.  People  call  him  a  genius.  He 
has  a  palatial  mansion  in  town  and  a  superb  coun- 
try place.  His  wife  has  automobiles,  diamonds, 
servants  galore.  Suddenly  something  goes  wrong 
with  his  system  of  borrowing  from  Peter  to  settle 
with  Paul.  A  bank  refuses  to  honor  a  big  draft 
insufficiently  secured.  There  are  disturbing  rumors 
round  town.  Gradually  the  whole  edifice  crumbles. 
Depositors  become  alarmed.  There  is  a  run  on 
the  bank.  Half  a  dozen  banks  close  their  doors 
precipitately.  Public  confidence  gets  a  jolt,  and  a 
commercial  panic  is  only  averted  by  the  big  finan- 
cial interests  hurrying  to  the  rescue  to  save  the  gen- 
eral situation.  The  frenzied  financier  either  blows 
his  brains  out  or  goes  to  the  penitentiary.  The 
dear  public  soon  forgets,  and  a  year  or  two  later 
a  new  financial  luminary  appears  on  the  horizon 
and  begins  the  same  trick  all  over  again." 

The  girl  listened,  interested. 

"Can  such  things  be  prevented  ?    Isn't  it  illegal  ?" 
25 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Certainly,  it's  illegal.  These  men  violate  the 
State  banking  laws  every  time  they  attempt  any- 
thing irregular,  but  they  take  the  chance.  They 
may  not  be  found  out  for  years.  Some  are  never 
found  out.  Some  are  so  clever  in  covering  their 
tracks  that  they  deceive  the  most  lynx-eyed  bank 
examiner.  They're  not  easy  to  catch.  Take,  for 
instance,  this  bank  which  closed  to-day.  The  bank- 
was  comparatively  unimportant.  That's  where 
these  scoundrels  are  clever.  They're  always  care- 
ful to  avoid  the  big  institutions.  They  know  that 
would  be  too  dangerous  a  game.  They've  too  much 
regard  for  their  own  skins.  They'd  be  caught  and 
jailed  before  they  had  a  chance  to  stack  the  cards. 
They  select  only  the  smaller  banks — their  victims 
are  usually  among  the  poorer  class  who  don't  un- 
derstand and  don't  question,  who  think  all  bank- 
ers dishonest,  and  that  is  their  destiny  to  be 
robbed."  Determinedly,  fiercely,  he  added: 

"Wait  till  I'm  district  attorney.  Woe  to  any 
get-rich-quick  financier  who  gets  into  my  clutches! 
I'll  show  him  no  mercy.  I  won't  rest  until  I  land 
him  behind  the  bars,  no  matter  who  he  is." 


26 


CHAPTER  II 

THEY  had  now  reached  the  fine,  open  Plaza 
at  Fifty-ninth  Street,  which  forms  Central 
Park's  magnificent  approach.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  Square,  Fifth  Avenue  continued  its 
way,  straight  as  the  crow  flies,  northward  to  Har- 
lem, lined  on  one  side  by  the  beautiful  white  mar- 
ble residences  of  America's  merchant  princes;  on 
the  other  by  the  low,  ugly  gray  wall  which  marks 
the  boundary  of  the  Park.  Overtopping  the  bar- 
rier, and  as  far  away  to  the  west  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  waved  a  mass  of  green  foliage  with  glimpses 
here  and  there  of  picturesque  driveways,  luxurious 
lawns,  silvery  lakes,  graceful  swans,  rustic  benches 
and  winding  paths  leading  into  shaded  glens — a 
spot  of  sylvan  loveliness,  an  oasis  of  seclusion  and 
fersh  air,  set  down  in  the  midst  of  the  nerve-rack- 
ing, gasoline-saturated  city.  At  the  entrance  to 
the  Park,  like  some  colossal  sentinel,  stood  St.  Gau- 
dens'  heroic  equestrian  statue  of  Sherman  leading 
his  troops  to  victory.  On  the  left,  its  lofty,  grace- 

27 


THE    GAMBLERS 


ful  facade  already  a  blaze  of  light  in  the  gathering 
dust,  its  portals  beset  by  smart  automobiles  and 
servants  in  livery,  was  the  Hotel  Plaza. 

Entering  through  the  Fifty-eighth  Street  door 
Kathryn  and  her  companion  passed  through  spa- 
cious marble  halls  and  red-carpeted  corridors  until 
they  came  to  the  tearoom,  the  location  of  which 
even  a  stranger  might  readily  find  if  only  the  sound 
of  the  music  were  to  serve  him  as  guide.  A  few 
minutes  later  and  they  were  comfortably  installed 
in  a  secluded  corner,  sipping  tea  out  of  dainty 
china  the  while  they  listened  to  the  dulcet,  dreamy 
strains  of  Franko's  string  orchestra. 

The  place  was  crowded,  as  usual  at  this  time  of 
day,  with  pretty  and  expensively  dressed  women. 
Nearly  every  table  was  taken.  The  air  was  full 
of  perfume,  chatter  and  laughter.  Rival  coteries, 
sitting  apart  in  scattered  groups,  retailed  the  latest 
news  and  gossip  of  the  Avenue,  and  as  they  talked 
volubly,  each  at  the  same  time,  the  women  furtively 
took  measure  of  each  other's  gowns  and  hats. 
Envy,  hatred,  malice  and  all  uncharitableness  was 
the  keynote  of  every  conversation.  The  utter  triv- 
iality of  the  topics  under  discussion,  the  silly  mu- 

28 


THE    GAMBLERS 


tual  admiration  of  gushing,  empty-headed  girls,  the 
inept,  inconsequential  utterances  of  dandified,  de- 
generate men,  the  general  low  moral  tone  as  re- 
flected in  the  sentiments  expressed  by  maids  and  ma- 
trons— all  this,  the  characteristic  attitude  of  the 
"smart  set,"  would  have  made  the  Recording  Angel 
weep.  Who  was  safe  in  this  place  of  slander  and 
double  entendre?  These  butterflies  of  fashion 
thought  no  more  of  tearing  an  absent  sister's  repu- 
tation to  tatters  than  of  breaking  between  their  ta- 
pering, highly-manicured  fingers  the  dainty  tea 
wafers  passed  by  obsequious  waiters  on  silver  sal- 
vers. It  was  Society's  school  for  scandal,  the  five- 
o'clock  rendezvous  of  "everybody"  in  town. 

While  Kathryn  was  nodding  amiably  to  several 
acquaintances  whom  she  recognized  in  the  throng 
and  pretending  not  to  see  others  whom  she  wished 
to  ignore,  which  some  consider  a  rather  clever  way 
of  snubbing  undesirables,  Darwin  watched  the  ani- 
mated scene  in  silence,  an  expression  of  disapproval 
on  his  face.  Turning  suddenly  to  his  companion,  he 
asked : 

"Do  you  come  here  often?" 
"No;  not  often.    Why  do  you  ask?" 
29 


THE    GAMBLERS 


With  a  gesture  of  angry  impatience  which  took 
in  the  whole  assemblage,  he  said: 

"This  kind  of  thing  disgusts  me.  To  look  at 
those  women — over-dressed  and  over-fed — one 
would  think  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  pov- 
erty in  the  world.  See  the  way  they're  got  up 
— the  furs,  the  jewels,  the  hats!  I  told  you  about 
the  gamblers  just  now.  These  women  are  the 
spenders.  It  is  they  who  make  the  gamblers.  Prac- 
tically they  force  men  to  steal  so  they  may  spend. 
They  are  the  real  malefactors  of  wealth." 

Drawing  her  attention  to  two  elegantly-gowned 
women  who  had  just  entered  wearing  priceless 
furs,  he  went  on : 

"Look  at  those  women!  That  chinchilla  coat 
cost  $20,000  if  it  cost  a  cent.  The  hat  she's  wear- 
ing couldn't  be  duplicated  for  $300.  To  look  at 
them  you'd  think  they  were  Russian  princesses  with 
a  fabulous  fortune.  I  happen  to  know  they're  just 
ordinary  Americans,  badly  inoculated  with  the 
spending  fever.  Their  husbands  are  plain,  every- 
day business  men,  who  have  to  scheme  and  sweat 
all  year  so  their  wives  may  parade  here  in  their 
fine  feathers." 

30 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Kathryn  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"It's  theirs  to  spend  as  they  like,  isn't  it?"  she 
said. 

"Not  always,"  was  his  laconic  rejoinder. 

"You  mean  they  steal  it  ?"  she  exclaimed  incredu- 
lously. 

"Many  do,"  he  answered  coolly.  Slowly  he  went 
on :  "Our  business  ethics  to-day  are  deplorable.  The 
line  between  what  is  legitimate  and  what  is  down- 
right knavery  is  so  finely  drawn  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  say  positively  nowadays  whether  a  man  is 
honest  or  a  crook.  The  only  real  difference  between 
some  so-called  successful  business  men  and  a  com- 
mon thief  is  that  the  business  man  is  not  found  out, 
or  I  should  say  escapes  indictment,  while  the  pro- 
fessional cracksman  is  nabbed  in  the  act.  The 
get-rich-quick  frenzy  is  making  potential  criminals 
of  us  all,  and  it  is  just  such  lazy,  over- fed  women 
as  you  see  here  with  their  mania  for  jewels,  fine 
clothes,  automobiles  and  other  expensive  luxuries 
that  drive  our  business  men  to  crime." 

The  girl  pouted.  She  did  not  like  these  homilies, 
for  she  was  fond  herself  of  all  the  good  things 
which  life  had  to  offer.  Besides  she  thought  the 


THE    GAMBLERS 


attorney  took  too  pessimistic  a  view  of  the  case. 

"But  all  people  are  not  dishonest,"  she  protested. 
"Why  shouldn't  they  spend  and  enjoy  their  money? 
The  country  is  prosperous." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"You  are  mistaken.  The  country  is  not  prosper- 
ous. The  crops  are  below  the  average,  business  is 
bad  everywhere,  railroad  earnings  have  fallen  off. 
We  are  drifting  towards  a  commercial  cataclysm. 
Yet  all  is  serene  on  the  surface.  Wall  Street  gives 
no  sign.  Stocks  artificially  bolstered  up,  remain 
at  top  notch  prices,  and  the  extravagance  of  the 
people  goes  on  unchecked.  Outwardly — yes — we 
are  prosperous,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  fact  that 
we  are  buying  more  from  Europe  than  they  from 
us.  Everybody  is  wearing  diamonds  and  drinking 
champagne — on  what?  Borrowed  money.  Credit 
has  been  expanded  to  the  breaking  point.  To  own 
automobiles  people  of  moderate  means  have  not 
hesitated  even  to  mortgage  their  homes.  In  the 
foolish  pursuit  of  pleasure  they  have  rashly  im- 
periled all  that  they  own  in  the  world.  Because 
you  see  people  throwing  money  about  recklessly 
you  must  not  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are 

32 


THE    GAMBLERS 


really  prosperous.  Often  they  are  merely  spend- 
ing what  is  not  theirs,  they  are  borrowing  trouble 
for  the  future.  Because  you  see  none  but  well- 
dressed  people  on  Fifth  Avenue,  don't  imagine  that 
poverty  and  distress  have  been  banished  from  the 
world.  Go  into  the  slums.  Stroll  along  the  river- 
front, enter  the  noisome  rookeries  that  abound 
along  the  Bowery.  The  harrowing  sights,  the 
hopeless,  grinding  poverty  would  appall  you.  The 
world  will  not  appear  so  prosperous  then." 

She  listened  in  silence.  His  earnestness  amused 
her.  She  was  not  able  to  follow  his  arguments, 
but  they  sounded  convincing.  She  had  always  ad- 
mired Jim's  keen,  intellectual  grasp  of  affairs. 
What  a  fine  public  speech  he  could  make!  In  her 
mind  she  already  saw  him  Governor,  addressing  a 
vast  crowd  on  some  vital  public  question.  The 
people,  carried  away,  would  cheer  and  call  him  out 
and  how  proud  she  would  be  to  share  his  triumph 
and  be  pointed  to  as  his  wife ! 

"Of  course,"  he  went  on,  "we  shall  always  have 
the  very  poor  with  us.  Some  unfortunates  seem 
to  be  so  constituted  mentally  that  they  can  never 
prosper.  These  will  always  be  public  charges. 

33 


THE    GAMBLERS 


But  the  prodigality  of  the  times  is  adding  to  our 
pauper  class  every  year.  Instead  of  growing  richer, 
the  world  is  actually  growing  poorer.  The  army 
of  the  destitute  is  growing  bigger,  each  year  the 
peril  looms  larger,  more  menacing.  If,  at  last, 
rendered  desperate  by  high  food  prices,  prohibitive 
rents,  the  people  raise  the  standard  of  revolt  and 
the  country  finds  itself  involved  in  the  throes  of 
revolution,  the  stupid  extravagances  of  the  rich,  idle 
class,  the  chicanery  and  knavery  of  the  capitalistic 
class  alone  will  be  to  blame.  I  see  danger  signals 
everywhere.  Take  your  friend  Wilbur  Emerson, 
for  instance " 

Startled,  Kathryn  put  down  her  cup. 

"Wilbur  Emerson!"  she  exclaimed.  "What  has 
he  to  do  with  it?" 

"Nothing — and  yet  perhaps  a  great  deal,"  was 
the  cautious  rejoinder.  Watching  closely  on  her 
face  the  effect  of  his  words  he  went  on :  "I've  been 
watching  Emerson  lately,  and  I  don't  much  like  the 
way  he's  going.  It  doesn't  augur  well  for  the  fu- 
ture  " 

"Why,"  demanded  Kathryn,  slightly  coloring  un- 
der his  persistent  gaze,  "what's  the  matter  ?" 

34 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Toying  idly  with  his  spoon  the  attorney  replied: 

"Wilbur  Emerson  is  what  we  call  a  high  roller. 
He's  as  different  from  the  old  man  as  a  son  can 
possibly  be  from  his  father.  Their  ideas,  especially 
their  morals,  are  entirely  opposed.  Old  Mr.  Emer- 
son is  high  principled,  conservative,  a  man  of  un- 
questioned integrity  and  honor.  I  am  not  so  sure 
about  the  son." 

"Do  you  know  anything  tangible,  or  are  you  only 
surmising?"  demanded  Kathryn  with  some  show  of 
irritation.  She  resented  this  reflection  on  an  ab- 
sent friend. 

The  attorney  nodded  sagaciously.  Carelessly  he 
said: 

"Oh,  we  hear  things  downtown,  you  know.  Wil- 
bur has  been  taking  some  high  fliers  in  Wall  Street 
lately,  and  some  of  his  deals  didn't  turn  out  very 
successfully.  I  hear  that  he  dropped  $10,000  in 
the  last  break.  Besides,  it's  a  common  knowledge 
that  he  belongs  to  a  fast  crowd.  It's  curious,  too, 
for  his  father  never  was  that  way " 

"You  spoke  of  danger — any  particular  danger?" 
interrupted  Kathryn. 

"Only  this,"  replied  Darwin  carelessly,  "that 
35 


THE    GAMBLERS 


were  a  man  of  his  loose  propensities  to  get  control 
of  the  Emerson  Bank  there  is  no  knowing  what 
might  happen.  He's  ambitious.  He's  a  born  gam- 
bler. He  longs  for  the  power  money  can  buy. 
People  say  that  he  is  getting  more  and  more  of  his 
own  way  in  the  bank,  and  that  he  has  some  scheme 
of  reorganization  which,  if  successful,  will  increase 
the  financial  power  of  the  bank,  and  make  him  a 
power  in  the  Street.  All  these  are  danger  signals." 
Kathryn  made  no  reply.  Darwin  had  always  dis- 
liked Wilbur;  she  knew  that.  Although  their  fam- 
ilies were  friends,  the  two  men  had  never  been  able 
to  get  along.  The  chief  reason,  of  course,  was 
Darwin's  insane  jealousy.  He  could  not  bear  Wil- 
bur Emerson's  name  mentioned.  Even  when  she 
happened  to  remark  that  she  had  met  the  young 
banker  he  grew  sulky  and  moody.  It  was  horrid 
of  Jim  to  talk  in  this  way  about  a  man  behind  his 
back,  yet  she  could  not  contradict  him.  All  he  said 
she  had  already  heard  from  others.  She  liked 
Wilbur  Emerson  immensely,  but  she  realized  that 
his  lack  of  moral  stamina  would  always  be  a  stum- 
bling block  in  the  way  of  his  success,  and  if,  un- 
fortunately, his  father  died,  leaving  him  in  control 

36 


THE    GAMBLERS 


of  affairs  at  the  bank,  matters  might  be  even  worse. 
Certainly,  he  was  not  the  kind  of  man  for  any 
woman  to  entrust  her  future  to,  no  matter  what 
pleasure  she  might  find  in  his  society. 

The  clock  struck  the  half  hour.  It  was  getting 
near  dinner  time,  yet  the  crowds  still  lingered  at 
the  tables,  laughing  and  talking.  People  came  and 
went,  the  waiters  ran  in  and  out,  the  hum  of  con- 
versation and  the  clatter  of  dishes  drowned  every 
other  sound,  even  the  music  of  the  orchestra.  A 
beautiful  woman,  gorgeously  attired  in  a  gown  that 
would  grace  an  empress,  and  literally  blazing  with 
precious  stones,  swept  by,  accompanied  by  a  foppish 
blond  young  man  barely  out  of  his  teens.  Darwin 
attracted  his  companion's  attention  to  them.  With 
a  laugh  he  said  : 

"Did  you  see  that  woman  ? — her  diamonds  would 
pay  a  king's  ransom.  She  always  has  that  boy 
dangling  after  her.  Her  husband,  a  manufacturer, 
went  through  the  bankruptcy  court  only  a  month 
ago." 

Kathryn  laughed  outright.  Her  companion's  cyn- 
icism amused  her. 

"What  a  shocking  moralizer  you  are,  Jim!  If 
37 


THE    GAMBLERS 


we  poor  women  were  to  listen  to  you  we'd  be  wear- 
ing sackcloth  and  ashes.  What  is  the  world  for  if 
we  are  not  to  enjoy  ourselves  in  it  and  make  our- 
selves beautiful?" 

She  sat  back  and  laughed,  showing  a  glimpse  of 
white,  pearly  teeth  between  the  delicately  chiseled 
lips  slightly  parted.  The  warmth  of  the  place  after 
the  long  walk  in  the  cold  air  had  rilled  her  cheeks 
with  a  rich  red  color.  Her  large,  luminous  eyes 
shaded  by  extremely  long  lashes,  shone  brilliantly. 
Darwin  gazed  at  her  in  silence.  Never  had  she 
seemed  more  lovely,  more  desirable.  Leaning  over, 
he  said  in  a  low,  earnest  tone : 

"Some  women  don't  need  the  help  of  dress  to 
make  them  beautiful.  You're  one  of  them,  Kate." 

The  compliment  pleased  her,  but  in  bantering 
tones,  she  cried : 

"What,  Mr.  Philosopher  growing  romantic?" 
With  more  mock  warning  she  added:  "Take  care, 
or  you'll  lose  your  judicial  point  of  view." 

Disregarding  her  teasing  manner,  he  went  on : 

"Kate,  isn't  it  about  time  you  and  I  understood 
each  other?  I  had  a  purpose  in  making  you  come 
here  this  afternoon.  I  wanted  to  talk  to  you  alone. 

38 


THE    GAMBLERS 


I  haven't  had  a  good  opportunity  before.  Kathryn, 
you  and  I  were  children  together.  We  don't  have 
to  stand  on  ceremony.  You  know  what  I  want  to 
say.  I've  loved  you  all  these  years.  I've  asked  you 
time  and  time  again  to  marry  me.  You've  kept  put- 
ting me  off  on  one  pretext  or  another.  I  only  ask 
you  to  let  me  know,  one  way  or  another.  This  in- 
decision isn't  fair  to  you  or  to  me.  I  love  you.  I 
want  you  for  my  wife.  If  you  don't  love  me,  if 
for  some  reason  or  another  marriage  between  us 
is  impossible — just  tell  me,  and  I  will  go  out  of 
your  life  forever.  But  don't  keep  me  longer  in 
suspense.  I'm  thinking  of  going  away." 

She  looked  at  him  quickly. 

"Going  away?" 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  averting  his  head;  "if  it's 
no,  I  don't  care  to  stay  here.  I  should  travel  for  a 
year  or  so " 

She  made  no  reply,  but  sat  quietly  sipping  her 
tea  and  watching  the  people  as  they  came  and  went. 
Jim  was  right,  she  thought.  Her  indecision  wasn't 
fair  to  either  of  them.  People  already  thought 
they  were  secretly  engaged.  Why  shouldn't  she 
make  up  her  mind  ?  She  was  getting  on  in  years ; 

39 


THE    GAMBLERS 


there  was  no  time  to  lose.  Any  woman  might  be 
proud  to  be  James  Darwin's  wife.  He  had  made  a 
splendid  reputation.  Each  day  he  was  becoming 
better  known.  At  next  election  he  would  be  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  the  district  attorneyship. 
The  newspapers  were  already  predicting  that  he  was 
the  coming  man  in  politics.  She  did  not  love  him. 
She  knew  that.  Yet  what  of  it?  Many  women 
had  married  men  they  did  not  love,  and  in  time 
had  learned  to  care  for  them. 

For  a  moment  the  face  of  Wilbur  Emerson 
loomed  up  in  her  mental  vision,  but  she  dismissed 
it  instantly.  She  liked  him,  better,  perhaps,  than 
any  other  man  of  her  acquaintance,  but  as  a  pros- 
pective husband  she  was  rather  afraid  of  him.  She 
had  heard  so  many  stories  of  his  gallantries!  He 
was  a  ban  vivant — a  sensualist.  He  had  no  taste 
for  literature;  he  admitted  that  books  bored  him. 
What  intellectual  companionship  could  such  a  man 
give  her?  No;  her  future  would  be  too  uncertain. 
He  compared  unfavorably  with  James  Darwin.  Jim 
was  cold,  self-centred;  his  personality  was  not  as 
attractive  or  as  lovable  as  the  young  banker,  but 
he  was  intellectual  and  his  prospects  were  more 

40 


THE    GAMBLERS 


promising.  She  believed  that  one  day  Jim  would 
rise  to  great  things.  How  proud  she  would  be  to 
be  the  wife  of  a  prominent  public  man!  James 
Darwin  would  help  her  to  realize  this  ambition. 
Wilbur  Emerson  never  would. 

Darwin  broke  in  upon  her  reflections.  Earnestly, 
his  voice  in  a  tremor  he  exerted  himself  to  control, 
he  said: 

"Well,  Kate — what  is  your  answer?" 

She  laid  her  ungloved  hand  on  his,  and  with  a 
little  pressure  meant  to  express  affection,  she  said: 

"Yes — Jim — and  God  grant  that  I  make  you  a 
good  wife!" 

Despite  her  words,  her  tone  was  cold  and  his 
eager,  passion-lit  eyes  saw  no  response  in  hers.  It 
was  the  voice  and  the  look  of  a  woman  who  had 
sacrificed  everything  to  her  ambition.  But  Darwin 
heeded  it  not.  He  knew  only  that  he  had  won  the 
most  desirable  girl  in  the  world.  But  for  the  hun- 
dred eyes  watching  them  he  would  have  taken  her 
in  his  arms.  She  noticed  his  involuntary  movement 
towards  her  and  instinctively  she  shrank  back  be- 
fore the  threatened  caress. 

"I  ask  only  one  thing,  Jim." 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"What's  that?"  he  said  hoarsely. 

"That  you  won't  say  anything  about  our  engage- 
ment for  a  week.  I  don't  want  my  friends  to  know 
until  I  tell  them  myself." 

He  drew  back,  and  his  face  slightly  darkened. 

"Wilbur  Emerson,  for  example!"  he  said,  with 
an  almost  imperceptible  sneer. 

She  returned  his  gaze  firmly.  Her  large,  wide 
open  eyes  were  frank  and  ingenuous  as  a  child's. 
Somewhat  haughtily  she  said : 

"Wilbur  Emerson  or  any  one  else,  Jim.  I  have 
no  accounting  to  give  to  you — yet.  In  one  week 
from  to-day  you  may  announce  our  engagement. 
It's  a  condition.  Do  you  accept?" 

Forgetting  his  momentary  ill  humor,  Darwin 
bent  eagerly  forward  and  whispered: 

"And  our  marriage,  Kate?    When  shall  that  be?" 

The  girl  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  she  said : 

"This  is  October.  What  do  you  say  to  next 
June?"  Laughingly  she  added:  "It's  the  month 
for  brides." 

"What!"  he  cried.  "Wait  till  June?  Why,  that's 
eight  months  away!" 

He  was  about  to  make  vigorous  protest  when 
42 


THE    GAMBLERS 


suddenly  a  feminine  voice  close  by  interrupted  their 
conversation. 

"What  are  you  two  doing — spooning  in  a  corner 
all  by  yourselves?" 

Kathryn,  surprised,  looked  up  quickly,  while 
Darwin  rose  quickly  to  his  feet.  Embarrassed  for 
a  moment  Kathryn  reddened  and  said: 

"Hello,  Gladys!  I  didn't  see  you.  When  did 
you  come  in  ?" 

The  new  arrival,  a  vivacious  blonde  girl,  showily 
dressed,  smiled  knowingly  as  she  gushed  out : 

"Why — we've  been  here  all  the  time.  I'm  with 
Mabel.  We're  sitting  near  the  orchestra.  Isn't  that 
first  violin  a  handsome  man?  He  plays  divinely. 
I  wish  he'd  elope  with  me.  Mabel's  perfectly  daffy 
over  him.  I  threatened  I'd  tell  Mr.  Cowper.  I've 
been  trying  to  catch  your  eye  for  some  time.  But 
you  were  so  taken  up  with  Mr.  Darwin.  Really,  I 
can't  blame  you.  No — thanks !  I  won't  sit  down." 

She  glanced  coquettishly  at  the  attorney,  who 
offered  her  a  seat.  Annoyed  at  this  unexpected  in- 
trusion on  their  privacy  at  such  a  moment,  he  made 
a  grimace.  Kathryn,  noticing  it,  laughed,  but 
Gladys,  not  to  be  suppressed,  rattled  on: 

43 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  wanted  to  ask  you  if  you  were  going  to  the 
Emersons'  dance  ?" 

"When  is  it?"  demanded  Kathryn. 

"Didn't  you  get  a  card?" 

"Yes;  mine  came  yesterday;  but  I  didn't  notice 
the  exact  day." 

"It's  next  Thursday.     You'll  go,  of  course." 

Darwin,  who  had  been  toying  nervously  with  the 
sugar  tongs,  dropped  them  noisily  on  the  floor.  For 
a  moment  Kathryn  hesitated,  and  glanced  at  him, 
as  if  doubtful  of  his  approval.  Then  hurriedly  she 
said: 

"Certainly,  I  shall  go.  Isabel  Emerson  is  my 
most  intimate  friend.  I  couldn't  very  well  refuse.'' 


44 


CHAPTER  III 

NOT  far  from  the  corner  of  Fifty-third 
Street,  on  the  same  side  of  Fifth  Avenue 
as  the  Cathedral,  stood  a  house  which 
never  failed  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  passer- 
by. Conspicuous  enough  to  excite  comment  even 
in  this  exclusive  neighborhood  of  aristocratic  resi- 
dences, it  was  built  of  red  limestone  and  had  a 
frontage  of  fifty  feet,  with  two  unusually  large 
windows  on  either  side  of  an  imposing  entrance, 
access  to  which  from  the  street  was  had  by  a  broad 
flight  of  steps.  It  was  not  a  new  house ;  indeed  it 
could  hardly  be  described  as  modern.  Built  some 
thirty  years  ago,  before  property  on  the  Avenue 
had  reached  the  present  fantastic  prices,  it  was 
planned  on  bigger,  nobler  lines  than  it  is  possible 
for  the  architect  of  to-day  to  follow.  The  rooms 
were  spacious,  lofty,  and  beautifully  proportioned. 
A  striking  feature  on  entering  the  main  reception 
hall  was  the  grand  staircase,  which  was  of  white 

45 


THE    GAMBLERS 


marble  and  carpeted  with  rich,  velvet  pile.  Situ- 
ated on  the  left,  and  open  all  the  way  up,  it  formed 
on  the  second  floor  a  kind  of  gallery  from  which 
hung  rare  old  tapestries. 

All  the  decorations  were  on  the  richest  and  most 
elaborate  scale,  in  keeping  with  the  size  and  impor- 
tance of  the  house.  The  ceilings  were  frescoed 
and  inset  with  fine  paintings,  representing  mytho- 
logical and  historical  subjects  executed  by  world- 
famous  artists.  The  walls  were  of  Carrara  marble 
and  onyx,  paneled  in  places  with  rare,  highly-pol- 
ished woods.  Stained  glass  over  a  monumental  fire- 
place and  in  various  nooks  imparted  rich  tones  to  old 
armor,  ancestral  portraits,  tapestries,  Oriental  rugs, 
gilt  and  brocaded  furniture  and  other  objets  d'art, 
which  went  to  complete  the  rich,  aesthetic  furnish- 
ings. 

John  Emerson  built  the  house  in  the  late  seven- 
ties, soon  after  he  came  to  New  York  from  Bos- 
ton, and  established  the  successful  banking  busi- 
ness which  still  bore  his  name.  It  was  the  pride 
of  his  earlier  manhood,  and  even  to-day,  in  the 
decline  of  his  honored  life,  when  he  was  rapidly 
approaching  the  three-score  years  and  ten  which 

46 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  Bible  tells  us  is  man's  allotted  span  of  life,  he 
still  loved  every  nook  and  corner  of  it. 

To-night  the  Emerson  mansion  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  in  every  part.  Lights  blazed  from 
every  window.  There  was  unwonted  bustle  of 
servants,  who  could  be  seen  hurrying  to  and  fro 
behind  the  drawn  blinds.  Messenger  boys  arrived 
with  flowers  and  packages.  A  striped  awning  with 
a  crimson  velvet  runner  covered  the  steps  from  the 
front  door  to  the  curb,  and  a  footman  in  livery 
stood  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  carriages.  It  was 
not  often  that  the  old  house  awoke  from  its  digni- 
fied lethargy.  Indeed,  it  was  so  seldom  that  the 
banker's  residence  gave  any  outward  sign  of  life 
that  the  neighbors  looked  on  in  breathless  amaze- 
ment. Mr.  Emerson  was  not  given  to  much  enter- 
taining. This,  however,  was  an  exception.  It  was 
the  birthday  of  the  banker's  daughter,  and  the  oc- 
casion was  being  properly  celebrated  by  a  dance 
and  supper. 

A  widower  for  ten  years,  the  banker  had  two 
children — Wilbur,  a  son,  now  in  his  thirtieth  year, 
and  Isabel,  an  amiable,  domesticated  kind  of  girl, 
who,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  her  friends,  was 

47 


THE    GAMBLERS 


still  unmarried  at  twenty-five,  a  critical  age  in  a 
woman's  life,  the  age  wjiere  the  road  suddenly 
branches  out  into  two  roads — one  leading  to  matri- 
mony, the  other  to  spinsterhood.  Some  girls,  no 
matter  what  their  virtues  may  be,  do  not  attract 
men.  Isabel  was  one  of  them.  She  was  good-look- 
ing, though  not  what  one  would  call  beautiful,  or 
even  attractive-looking.  A  very  sensible,  whole- 
some girl,  healthy  in  mind  and  body,  she  had  many 
sterling  qualities.  She  was  a  devoted  daughter 
and  no  doubt  would  have  made  a  good  wife.  Pro- 
posals had  come  her  way,  but  as  is  often  the  dilemma 
of  girls  with  money,  she  doubted  their  sincerity  and 
good  faith.  It  was  well  known  that  her  father  had 
settled  $100,000  on  her,  and  this  had  not  failed  to 
attract  greedy  suitors.  But  Isabel  was  too  shrewd 
to  be  imposed  upon,  and  since  the  right  man  did 
not  appear  she  sensibly  resigned  herself  to  the  idea 
of  spending  her  life  in  single  blessedness.  After 
all,  why  should  she  marry  ?  Had  she  not  her  father 
and  her  brother  to  look  after? 

Wilbur,  the  son,  had  recently  been  given  a  re- 
sponsible position  in  the  bank,  which  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  conservatively 

48 


THE    GAMBLERS 


managed  financial  institutions  in  the  country.  For 
a  hundred  years  and  more  the  Emersons,  a  proud 
New  England  family  of  Puritan  descent,  had  held 
an  enviable  place  in  the  annais  of  American  his- 
tory. Unassailable  integrity,  a  spotless  record, 
"without  fear  and  without  reproach" — this  had 
been  the  family's  tradition,  handed  down  from  fa- 
ther to  son  as  a  precious  heirloom  until  the  very 
name  Emerson  became  per  se  a  valuable  busi- 
ness asset,  a  pseudonym  for  respectability  and 
honor.  People  put  their  money  in  the  Emerson 
Bank  with  the  utmost  confidence  because  John  Em- 
erson was  at  the  head  of  that  institution.  They 
knew  their  man.  They  knew  that  John  Emerson 
would  never  countenance  in  his  bank  the  methods 
which  looser  business  principles  nowadays  toler- 
ated, and  which  were  responsible  for  all  the  bank- 
ing scandals,  the  runs,  the  failures,  the  panics,  the 
suicides  which  had  become  a  crying  disgrace  in  our 
banking  system.  Other  financial  institutions  might 
be  induced  to  attempt  big  things  on  weak  capital, 
spread  out,  make  millions  by  putting  through 
"mergers,"  build  up  chains  of  banks  with  deposi- 
tors' money.  But  not  any  institution  controlled 

49 


THB    GAMBLERS 


by  John  Emerson.  He  stood  firm  as  a  rock  for 
honest  banking.  He  was  conservative,  old-fash- 
ioned, out  of  touch,  perhaps,  with  up-to-date  finan- 
cial methods,  but  no  one  had  ever  questioned  his 
unequivocal,  uncompromising  honesty.  Resisting 
persistently  the  schemes  of  wily  promoters  and 
other  knights  of  crooked  finance,  he  adhered  firmly 
to  sound  banking  principles.  He  believed  in  main- 
taining a  standard  of  sound  banking  practice,  and 
refused  to  depart  even  by  a  hair's  breadth  from  the 
straight,  open  course.  With  God's  help  he  hoped 
to  make  Wilbur  as  sound  and  conservative  a 
banker  as  himself.  It  was  not  easy.  He  realized 
that,  like  all  young  men,  Wilbur  was  a  little  head- 
strong. He  chafed  under  the  curb.  Impatient  at 
the  slowness  of  the  bank's  present  way  of  doing 
business,  he  had  tried  to  introduce  several  reforms, 
and  some  of  his  innovations  had  brought  about 
good  results.  They  had  increased  the  bank's 
business  and  done  no  harm.  His  confidence 
gained,  gradually,  by  degrees,  Mr.  Emerson 
relaxed  the  tight  rein  and  gave  his  son  more 
leeway,  until  now  Wilbur  was  vice-president  of  the 
bank. 

50 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  think  that  will  do,  Thomas.  Are  you  sure 
the  champagne  is  on  the  ice?" 

"Oh,  yes,  miss;  I  seen  to  that  myself,  miss." 

"You'd  better  go  and  make  sure,  Thomas.  My 
brother  is  so  fussy  about  the  champagne  being 
very  cold." 

"Yes,  miss." 

The  butler  left  the  room,  and  Isabel  drew  back 
and  critically  surveyed  her  work. 

All  dressed  to  receive  the  guests  who  would  soon 
arrive,  the  daughter  of  the  house  was  busy  in  the 
dining  room,  helping  the  servants  put  the  finishing 
touches  to  the  table.  Laid  for  forty  people,  cov- 
ered with  snowy  linen,  glittering  silver  and  spar- 
kling crystal,  decorated  with  flowers  and  ribbons, 
and  with  a  vast  silver  centrepiece  filled  with 
orchids,  it  presented  a  beautiful  sight.  Carefully 
Isabel  began  to  arrange  the  cards  on  each  plate. 
Gladys  would  sit  next  to  Mr.  Cowper,  Kathryn 
next  to  father,  Mrs.  Thurston  next  to  Tooker, 
Mabel  next  to  Wilbur,  Miss  Forster  next  to  Mr. 
Raymond 

Suddenly  the  girl's  calculations  were  rudely  in- 
terrupted. She  felt  herself  seized  by  strong  hands, 

51 


THE    GAMBLERS 


and  before  she  could  defend  herself,  she  felt  a 
man's  kiss  on  her  cheek.  Turning-  quickly,  she 
saw  her  brother  laughing  at  her.  In  his  hand  was 
a  small  package  tied  with  ribbon. 

"Hello,  sis!"  he  exclaimed.  "Many  happy  re- 
turns !  Missed  you  all  day.  Didn't  forget,  though. 
Bought  you  a  little  trifle  at  Tiffany's.  Hope  you'll 
like  it.  Where's  the  gov'nor?" 

Taking  the  package  Isabel  started  to  untie  it. 
Smiling,  she  said : 

"Gracious,  Wilbur — how  you  frightened  me!  I 
didn't  hear  you  come  in.  Father's  upstairs — dress- 
ing." 

By  this  time  the  outer  wrappers  were  off  and  a 
dainty  little  jewel  box  was  revealed  to  view.  The 
girl  opened  it,  and  to  her  delight  saw  a  beautiful 
ring — pearl  set  in  a  circle  of  brilliants. 

"Oh,  Wilbur!"  she  exclaimed.  "How  good  of 
you!" 

Wilbur  Emerson  was  a  favorite,  not  only  with 
his  sister,  but  with  almost  every  one  else.  Hand- 
some, clever,  good-natured,  he  was  one  of  those 
brilliant  men  who,  naturally  amiable  themselves 
and  possessing  no  little  personal  magnetism,  have 

52 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  knack  of  communicating  their  geniality  to 
others  and  thus  make  for  themselves  hosts  of 
friends.  True,  he  had  a  reputation  for  being  fond 
of  late  suppers,  speeding,  little  blonde  actresses,  in- 
cursions into  Wall  Street,  and  similar  diversions 
for  which  rich  men's  sons  seem  to  have  a  particular 
predilection;  but  since  he  had  become  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  Emerson  Bank,  he  had,  to  a  great 
extent,  dropped  his  old  associates,  and  sobered 
down.  In  any  case,  his  father  had  no  reason  to 
complain  of  the  manner  in  which  he  attended  to  his 
duties,  and  it  was  a  great  source  of  satisfaction  to 
the  old  gentleman  to  think  that,  when  the  time  came 
that  he  would  be  compelled  to  lay  aside  the  cares 
of  business,  there  was  another  Emerson  to  take  up 
the  reins. 

Women,  especially,  liked  Wilbur  Emerson. 
While  always  the  gentleman,  his  attitude  towards 
them  had  that  delightfully  frank  and  easy  manner 
which  soon  established  relations  of  intimate  cama- 
raderie. At  times  his  audacity  had  outstripped  the 
bounds,  and  then  a  look  sufficed  to  make  him  be- 
have. If  he  took  liberties,  it  was  usually  the  fault 
of  the  women.  They  encouraged  rather  than  re- 

53 


THE    GAMBLERS 


sented  his  familiarities,  just  because,  as  they  said, 
he  was  good-looking  and  dangerously  fascinating. 
Wilbur  Emerson  was,  in  truth,  an  uncommonly 
handsome  man.  The  beau  ideal  of  a  Paul  Bourget 
hero,  his  tall,  slender  figure  always  faultlessly 
dressed,  a  pale  and  rather  classic  face,  with  dark, 
wavy  hair,  fine  eyes  and  a  sensitive  mouth — he 
looked  as  though  he  might  have  stepped  out\of 
the  pages  of  the  latest  novel.  Not  that  there  was 
anything  in  his  appearance  to  suggest  weakness  or 
effeminacy.  There  was  nothing  degenerate  about 
him.  Looks  are  often  deceiving,  and  never  more 
so  than  in  this  instance.  Slender  and  delicate  as 
he  seemed,  his  muscles  were  rigid  as  steel.  He  was 
wiry  as  a  cat  and  supple  as  an  eel.  At  college  he 
was  the  best  long-distance  runner  of  his  year,  and 
his  rooms  were  littered  with  other  trophies  of  his 
athletic  prowess.  Nor  was  he  always  the  suave, 
easy-going  person  he  appeared  in  the  drawing- 
room.  In  business  hours,  he  was  alert,  energetic, 
masterful.  When  anything  went  wrong  at  the 
bank  he  was  suddenly  transformed  into  a  veritable 
cyclone  of  wrath,  nor  was  he  appeased  until  mat- 
ters had  been  adjusted  to  his  satisfaction. 

54 


THE    GAMBLERS 


It  was  an  agreeable  surprise  to  many  to  see  how 
well  he  had  turned  out  at  the  bank.  When  first  it 
was  announced  that  his  father  had  taken  him  in, 
the  depositors  shook  their  heads  ominously.  They 
only  knew  the  young  man  as  a  congenial  viveur, 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  New  York's  gilded 
youth.  Wherever  there  was  a  joyous,  boisterous 
crowd,  at  the  club,  theatre  or  restaurant,  they  knew 
it  was  safe  to  count  him  one  of  the  number.  The 
boy  had  started  wrong.  His  school  companions  left 
much  to  be  desired,  and  he  soon  displayed  tenden- 
cies that  augured  ill  for  the  future.  The  gay  world 
was  a  call  too  strong  to  resist.  Alone  the  old  man 
had  faith  in  his  son.  "Give  the  boy  time,"  he  said. 
"He's  young  yet,  full  of  the  unreasoning  exuber- 
ance of  youth.  Let  him  sober  down.  Then  all  will 
be  well."  It  was  something  new  for  an  Emerson 
to  run  so  wild,  and  the  croakers  made  dismal 
prophecies.  They  looked  dubiously  at  Wilbur  en- 
tering the  bank,  and  at  first  they  were  inclined  to 
resent  it.  For  his  father's  sake,  however,  they  said 
nothing.  They  had  not  much  confidence  in  the 
young  man,  but  they  knew  that  so  long  as  John 

Emerson  lived  the  bank  was  safe,  and  now  that 

55 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  son  seemed  to  have  sown  all  his  wild  oats  and 
sobered  down  they  were  quite  ready  to  admit  that 
possibly  they  had  been  a  little  hasty  in  their  judg- 
ment. 

"How  kind  of  you,  Wilbur!"  exclaimed  Isabel 
gratefully.  "How  did  you  guess  I  wanted  a  ring?" 

The  young  man  smiled  grimly  as  he  turned  to 
a  convenient  mirror  to  adjust  his  full-dress  white 
tie. 

"Oh,  that  was  a  pretty  safe  guess.  Did  you  ever 
hear  of  a  woman  who  had  no  use  for  a  ring?" 
Changing  the  subject,  he  said:  "The  people  will 
soon  be  here.  It's  past  nine.  Who's  coming?" 

"The  usual  crowd — all  the  girls,  and  Mrs. 
Thurston,  Mrs.  Dyas  and  Mr.  Cowper,  Mr.  Ray- 
mond, Mr.  Tooker " 

Her  brother  interrupted  her  with  a  laugh. 

"Cowper — Raymond — Tooker!  It  sounds  like 
the  roll-call  of  one  of  our  bank  directors'  meet- 


ings  " 

"I  had  to  invite  them,"  explained  Isabel  almost 
apologetically.  "They're  directors  in  the  bank,  and 
it  wouldn't  look  well  to  ignore  them.  Father 
thought  they  should  be  asked.  Besides,"  she  added 

56 


THE    GAMBLERS 


roguishly,  "Mr.  Cowper  is  sweet  on  Gladys.  I  may 
be  able  to  make  a  match.  Mr.  Raymond  and  Mr. 
Tooker  can  talk  finance  with  you  and  father." 

Wilbur  pulled  a  wry  face. 

"Thanks — I'd  rather  be  excused.  I  see  enough 
of  them  in  the  bank.  Who  else  is  coming?" 

"I  asked  Mr.  Darwin,  but  I  doubt  if  he'll  come." 

A  cloud  passed  over  the  young  man's  face.  Bit- 
terly he  exclaimed : 

"Not  if  he  knows  that  I'm  here — with  Kathryn 
Forster.  I'm  surprised  he's  willing  to  have  her  come 
here  alone.  I  wonder  he's  not  afraid  I'll  cut  him 
out." 

Isabel  looked  up  at  her  brother  wistfully.  With 
a  sigh  she  said : 

"I  wish  you  could,  Wilbur.  I'm  so  fond  of  Kath- 
ryn. I'm  sure  she  thinks  the  world  of  you " 

"Thinks  the  world  of  me,  but  marries  the  other 
chap,  eh?" 

Since  the  death  of  their  mother  Isabel  sometimes 
felt  that  she  owed  Wilbur  more  than  the  attention 
of  a  sister.  It  was  her  fondest  desire  that  he  might 
marry  happily  and  settle  down,  but  for  some  reason 
he  was  still  a  bachelor  at  thirty.  Like  all  men  as 

57 


THE    GAMBLERS 


they  get  older,  Wilbur  was  beginning  to  realize 
that  a  man  who  does  not  choose  a  life  companion 
early  in  life  makes  a  mistake  which  he  is  apt  to 
bitterly  regret  in  after  years,  but  so  far  he  had 
been  content  to  gather  honey  at  all  the  flowers  in 
the  matrimonial  garden  instead  of  at  only  one.  Her 
friend,  Kathryn  Forster,  was  just  the  girl  for  him. 
and  for  a  long  time  Isabel,  as  well  as  every  one 
else,  had  expected  daily  to  hear  they  were  engaged. 
She  knew  that  Wilbur  thought  a  great  deal  of  her. 
in  fact,  was  very  fond  of  her.  If  there  was  noth- 
ing between  them  it  could  only  be  that  Kathryn 
gave  him  no  encouragement.  That  there  was  an- 
other rival  in  the  field  she  was  well  aware.  She 
also  knew  that  Kathryn  was  ambitious,  and  might 
be  dazzled  by  Jim  Darwin's  political  prospects. 

"I  wish  you  would  marry  her,"  went  on  Isabel, 
not  noticing  the  interruption.  "I'd  like  to  see  you 
comfortably  settled  and  happy." 

Her  brother  laid  a  hand  gently  on  the  girl's 
shoulder.  Shaking  his  head,  he  said : 

"We  can't  always  arrange  these  things  to  suit 
ourselves,  sis.  I'm  fond  of  Kathryn — you  know  that. 
No  man  could  think  more  of  her  than  I  do.  But 

58 


THE    GAMBLERS 


I  don't  believe  she  really  cares  two  straws  about 
me.  Sometimes  I  think  she  studies  her  own  in- 
terests more  than  her  feelings.  She  is  very  ambi- 
tious. Perhaps  she  thinks  that  Darwin  can  give 
her  more.  Anyhow,  he's  got  her  completely  hypno- 
tized. I  wish  it  were  otherwise.  Don't  you  sup- 
pose I'm  tired  of  knocking  about?  I'd  be  glad  to 
settle  down. 

"Sis,"  he  went  on  earnestly,  "I'll  tell  you  a  se- 
cret ;  but  only  to  you.  Kathryn  is  coming  here  to- 
night. It  may  be  my  last  chance  to  talk  with  her 
alone.  I'm  going  to  ask  her  to  marry  me.  If  she 

says  no — well "     He  stopped  and  stroked  his 

sister's  hair,  then,  with  an  effort  at  gayety,  he 
added:  "We'll  both  remain  single — you  and  I — 
just  to  spite  'em.'' 

Isabel  laughed,  and  going  round  the  table  re- 
sumed her  work  of  arranging  the  cards  on  the 
plates.  Wilbur  followed  her.  Hesitatingly  he  said : 

"Isabel — there's  something  else  I  want  to  speak  to 
you  about — something  very  important." 

The  girl  looked  up  in  surprise.  With  anxiety  she 
exclaimed : 

"Something  important?    What  is  it?" 
59 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  young  man  gave  a  quick  glance  around  to 
make  sure  they  were  alone,  and  then  said  quickly: 

"It's  about  the  bank.  I  want  you  to  help  me. 
It's  something  I've  had  on  my  mind  for  some  time. 
My  whole  future  is  at  stake.  My  father  has  put 
me  in  the  banking  business,  and  it's  too  late  for 
me  to  take  to  anything  else.  But  if  I'm  to  remain 
a  banker,  I  must  be  a  real  banker.  I'm  not  the 
kind  of  man  to  be  content  to  remain  in  the  back- 
ground, to  be  a  mere  figurehead.  I  want  to  be  just 
as  big  as  the  other  fellows.  Banking  to-day  is 
quite  a  different  matter  to  what  it  was  when  father 
first  established  his  bank.  In  those  days  they  did 
business  on  a  small,  conservative  scale;  to-day  it's 
a  game  of  millions — hundreds  of  millions!  You 
know  we  have  no  real  standing.  We  are  respected 
and  all  that,  but  we  are  not  a  factor  in  the  colossal 
financial  operations  of  the  day.  While  other  in- 
stitutions have  forged  ahead,  we  are  standing  still ; 
in  fact,  we  are  losing  ground  every  day,  losing  de- 
posits, losing  business  of  every  kind,  simply  be- 
cause we  are  not  progressive.  Do  you  follow  me  ?'' 

The  girl  nodded. 

"Yes,  I  understand  you  perfectly  well.  I  think 
60 


THE    GAMBLERS 


I  agree  with  you.  Father,  of  course,  is  old-fash- 
ioned in  his  ideas  and  out  of  touch  with  modern 
methods,  but  how  can  I  help  you?" 

"You  can  help  me  in  this,"  he  went  on  earnestly. 
"I'm  going  to  ask  father  to  give  me  more  au- 
thority, to  let  me  go  ahead  in  my  own  way  and  re- 
organize the  bank  on  more  modern  lines.  I  want 
him  to  let  me  make  millions  for  him  where  formerly 
we  have  been  content  with  thousands.  I  am  young, 
I  have  energy,  determination.  I  want  to  do  what 
the  others  are  doing — take  part  in  the  fierce,  ex- 
citing money  game  and  make  the  name  'Emerson 
Bank'  ring  around  the  world!"  He  stopped  as  if 
to  judge  of  the  effect  of  his  words  and  then  went 
on :  "Things  can't  go  on  like  this.  If  we  don't  do 
something  we  shall  be  crowded  to  the  wall,  snuffed 
out  of  existence  altogether.  I  want  you  to  per- 
suade father  to  let  me  have  my  own  way  in  this. 
All  the  others  are  with  me.  Mr.  Tooker,  Mr.  Ray- 
mond, and  the  other  directors  of  the  bank  are 
ready  to  fall  in  line.  They  are  willing  that  we 
should  organize  and  have  a  chain  of  banks  and 
get  out  of  the  game  all  there  is  in  it.  Will  you 
talk  to  father,  sis?" 

61 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Isabel  was  quiet  for  a  moment,  but  stood  medi- 
tatively playing  with  the  plates.  Wilbur  was  quite 
right,  she  thought  to  herself.  It  was  only  natural 
that  he  should  be  ambitious  and  want  to  accomplish 
big  things  and  make  a  name  for  himself.  It  was 
her  duty  to  help  him. 

"Yes,  Wilbur,"  she  said  simply,  "I'll  speak  to 
father  to-night,  if  possible." 

Her  brother  took  both  her  hands  in  his. 

"Thank  you,  sis;  I  knew  you  would." 

Suddenly  the  butler  appeared  in  the  doorway 
leading  to  the  main  hall.  Proud  of  his  wide  ex- 
panse of  shirt  bosom,  clean  white  gloves,  and  newly 
starched  tie,  he  announced  pompously: 

"Carriages  beginning  to  arrive,  miss." 

Isabel  gave  a  little  cry  of  dismay. 

"Here  I  am  chattering  when  I  should  be  receiv- 
ing my  company.  Wilbur — see  if  father  is  ready 
to  come  down!" 

The  footman,  on  guard  at  the  front  entrance, 
threw  the  great  iron  doors  open.  A  lady,  bundled 
up  in  wraps,  entered.  Isabel  ran  lightly  forward. 

"Oh,  Gladys — you  dear  thing!  How  sweet  of 
you  to  come  so  soon!" 

62 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  string  orchestra,  cleverly  concealed  be- 
hind a  bank  of  palms,  played  a  dreamy 
Strauss  waltz  while  the  young  couples 
turned  gracefully  on  the  highly  polished  floors  to 
the  rhythm  of  the  languorous  music.  It  was  nearly 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  yet  no  one  thought  of 
going  home.  At  midnight  supper  was  served,  and 
after  that  the  dancing  began  again. 

Mr.  Emerson,  Sr.,  a  veteran  of  the  old  school, 
with  snow-white  hair  and  courtly  manner,  sat  in  a 
corner,  rinding  pleasure  in  watching  the  animated 
scene.  Near  him  were  Giles  Raymond  and  Fred 
Tooker,  directors  of  the  Emerson  Bank. 

"It  does  me  good  to  see  them.  It  makes  me  feel 
young  again,"  smiled  the  old  man,  nodding  his  head 
approvingly  as  he  caught  a  fleeting  glimpse  of  his 
son  waltzing  past  with  Kathryn  Forster. 

Raymond,  a  coarse-faced,  heavy-jawed  man  who 
had  a  habit  of  chewing  his  cigar  viciously  in  the 

63 


THE    GAMBLERS 


corner  of  his  mouth,  giving  him  the  appearance  of 
an  ex-prizefighter,  chortled  loudly: 

"You  should  have  seen  me  in  my  dancing  days! 
I  was  a  perfect  divil  among  the  women." 

Tooker,  a  shock-headed  man  with  a  stupid  man- 
ner and  watery  eyes,  gave  a  snort  of  defiance.  He 
and  Raymond  had  been  chums  and  business  asso- 
ciates for  years,  but  they  were  always  quarreling 
and  loved  nothing  so  much  as  an  old-fashioned  ar- 
gument. To-night  Tooker  had  supped  over  well 
and  taken  a  little  more  champagne  than  was  good 
for  him. 

"Rot!"  he  growled.  "Men  and  women  jumping 
about  like  a  lot  of  grasshoppers !  It's  idiotic- 
Raymond  and  Tooker  were  typical  representa- 
tives of  the  nouveau  riche  class.  Both  self-made 
men,  of  course,  primeval  instincts,  unrefined  by  edu- 
cation and  cultured  surroundings,  they  had  hewed 
their  way  brutally  through  life  with  only  one  object 
in  view — that  of  making  money.  They  had  been 
successful,  too,  for  middle  age  found  them  in  pos- 
session of  a  comfortable  fortune.  Money,  power, 
influence — these  had  been  the  coveted  goals,  and 

they  had  stopped  at  nothing  to  reach  them.     None 

64 


THE    GAMBLERS 


too  scrupulous,  some  of  their  business  transactions 
would  hardly  bear  the  light  of  day,  but  if  in  their 
past  career  they  had  anything  to  reproach  them- 
selves with,  they  always  solaced  themselves  by  point- 
ing to  their  bank  account.  They  were  rich,  that 
was  enough. 

That  they  were  not  very  congenial  to  Mr.  Emer- 
son, himself  a  refined  and  perfect  gentleman,  goes 
without  saying.  Their  manners  and  conversation 
were  vulgar;  they  talked  loud  and  boasted  of  their 
money  and  influence.  They  were  undesirable  from 
many  points  of  view.  Yet,  for  reasons  of  policy, 
they  were  tolerated,  even  by  those  who  despised 
their  class  most.  In  these  days  of  keen  competition 
it  is  hardly  practical  to  scrutinize  business  associates 
too  critically.  Raymond,  ambitious  to  "jimmy"  his 
way  into  society,  had  decided  to  become  a  bank 
director,  and  with  that  end  in  view  he  and  his  friend 
Tooker  had  acquired  large  holdings  of  stock  in  the 
Emerson  Bank.  Otherwise,  apart  from  their  man- 
ners, which  left  so  much  to  be  desired,  they  were 
not  bad  fellows  at  heart.  Each  had  a  large  supply 
of  coarse  humor,  in  which  they  indulged  at  every- 
body's expense,  and  in  a  certain  set  of  their  own 

65 


THE    GAMBLERS 


they  were  popular,  especially  Tooker,  who  at  times 
had  generous  impulses.  Raymond,  on  the  contrary, 
was  an  extremely  selfish  man,  cold  and  calculating, 
and  intolerant  of  any  one  expressing  an  opinion 
that  was  not  his  own. 

"Thirsty  work — dancing!"  said  Tooker  as  he 
watched  the  couples  whirling  past. 

Quick  to  note  the  hint  conveyed  in  the  remark, 
Raymond  quickly  picked  his  friend  up.  Sarcas- 
tically he  said: 

"Makes  you  dry  even  to  think  of  it,  eh,  Tooker?" 

Mr.  Emerson  smiled  and,  rising  from  his  seat, 
said  courteously : 

"Come,  gentlemen,  let  us  adjourn  to  the  smoking 
room.  I  think  we  shall  find  some  refreshment 
there." 

"Motion  carried!"  cried  Tooker  enthusiasti- 
cally. 

The  two  directors  jumped  up  from  their  seats 
with  alacrity,  and,  following  Mr.  Emerson's  lead, 
ambled  off  in  the  direction  of  the  smoking  room, 
where  a  side  buffet  was  temptingly  set  out  with 
cigars,  cordials  and  decanters  of  all  shapes. 

"That's  the  idea!"  exclaimed  Raymond,  chewing 
66 


THE    GAMBLERS 


his  cigar  more  energetically  than  ever.    "Why  didn't 
we  come  here  before?" 

"We've  been  wasting  precious  time,  that's  sure," 
said  Tooker  cheerfully. 

"Help  yourselves,  gentlemen,"  said  Mr.  Emerson. 

Taking  a  whisky  decanter  and  filling  a  glass, 
Tooker  raised  it  to  his  lips. 

"Here's  how !"  he  said  with  mock  politeness. 

Noticing  that  his  chum  was  taking  nothing,  he 
protested : 

"What's  the  matter,  Giles?  I  thought  you  wanted 
a  drink." 

Raymond  paid  no  attention  to  him,  but,  dropping 
into  one  of  the  big  easy  leather  arm  chairs,  rested 
his  chin  on  one  hand  in  a  thoughtful  attitude. 
Nervous  in  manner,  he  started  chewing  his  cigar, 
as  he  usually  did  when  anything  important  was  on 
his  mind. 

"Drink?"  he  growled.  "No — I  want  to  talk  to 
Mr.  Emerson." 

Overhearing  the  remark,  the  veteran  banker 
turned  politely  toward  his  guest.  Amiably  he 
asked : 

"What  is  it,  Raymond?    I'm  all  attention." 
67 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Raymond  pointed  to  a  chair. 

"Sit  down,  Mr.  Emerson,"  he  said.  "It  isn't 
often  we  get  a  chance  to  have  a  few  moments'  quiet 
chat  with  you.  For  a  long  time  Tooker  and  I  have 
been  waiting  for  this  opportunity.  Dancing  and 
society  and  all  the  rest  is  very  nice,  as  far  as  it  goes, 
but  there's  something  else  in  life  besides  that.  Ain't 
there,  Tooker?" 

His  fellow  director,  still  busy  at  the  buffet,  gave 
a  nod  of  maudlin  wisdom.  Mr.  Emerson  took  a 
seat  and  said: 

"Go  on,  Mr.  Raymond,  I  am  listening." 

Tooker  refilled  his  glass. 

"Take  another  drink,"  grinned  Raymond. 

"Thanks,  I  will,"  retorted  his  chum. 

Raymond  scowled  at  his  companion  to  desist.  He 
did  not  much  relish  the  idea  of  having  to  carry  him 
home. 

"You've  had  enough,  Tooker,"  he  said  severely. 

"Mind  your  own  business,"  retorted  the  di- 
rector. 

Raymond,  with  a  snort  of  contempt,  turned  to 
his  host: 

"Mr.  Emerson,  this  isn't  exactly  the  place  to  talk 
68 


THE    GAMBLERS 


business,  but  we  don't  often  get  an  opportunity  to 
get  together — you  and  I " 

The  banker  looked  at  his  interlocutor  in  surprise 
At  first  he  was  inclined  to  think  that  he,  too,  had 
supped  not  wisely  but  too  well,  but  a  glance  showed 
him  that  he  was  sober  enough.  He  had  something 
to  say  and  wanted  to  say  it.  His  manner  was  so 
confidential  and  mysterious  that  Mr.  Emerson's 
curiosity  was  aroused.  Encouragingly,  he  said : 

"Why — certainly — what  is  it?    I'm  listening." 

Raymond  looked  around  cautiously  before  pro- 
ceeding. Then  he  said : 

"Mr.  Emerson,  I've  been  thinking  that  you  and  I 
and  our  friend  Tooker  here  are  not  getting  out  of 
this  business  all  there  is  in  it " 

"Not  by  a  long  shot,"  chimed  in  Tooker,  draining 
his  glass. 

"What  business?"  demanded  Mr.  Emerson,  puz- 
zled for  a  moment. 

"The  banking  business,  Mr.  Emerson,  the  bank- 
ing business " 

He  stopped  short  and  cleared  his  throat  nerv- 
ously. Then,  looking  around  as  if  seeking  for  a 
cuspidor,  he  went  on : 

69 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Your  son  Wilbur  is  a  young  man,  sir,  but  he's 
no  fool.  Anybody  can  see  that.  Considering  the 
short  time  he  has  been  in  the  banking  business,  it 
is  remarkable  how  quickly  he  has  mastered  its  many 
intricate  and  complex  details.  He  does  credit  to 
your  intelligence  in  having  entrusted  him  with  a 
post  of  so  much  responsibility.  He  has  shown 
marked  capacity,  great  executive  ability,  I  believe. 
I  may  say  we  believe  a  great  future  awaits  him 
as  a  financier  of  the  first  rank."  Turning  to 
his  fellow  director,  he  added:  "Don't  we, 
looker?" 

"We  certainly  do,"  gurgled  the  latter  between 
drinks. 

The  veteran  banker  sat  watching  them  in  amaze- 
ment. One  of  them  was  drunk,  no  doubt,  but  the 
other  seemed  sober  enough.  Not  knowing  exactly 
how  to  take  them,  he  said : 

"Gentlemen,  you  are  very  kind " 

Raymond  raised  his  hand  in  protest. 

"No,  no,  Mr.  Emerson,  this  is  no  jesting  matter. 
It's  a  very  serious  matter,  which  Tooker  and  I 
have  often  talked  over  among  ourselves.  Mr.  Cow- 

per  is  of  the  same  opinion " 

70 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  banker  was  more  and  more  mystified. 

"What  opinion?"  he  exclaimed. 

"Just  this,  Mr.  Emerson,  we're  not  getting  out 
of  the  bank  all  that  we  expected.  I  may  say  that 
we  are  not  getting  even  a  fair  return  on  our  money." 
He  stopped  for  a  moment  to  judge  what  effect  this 
preliminary  had,  and  noticing  that  his  host  was  an 
attentive  listener,  he  proceeded:  "This  is  not  the 
day  of  the  four  per  cent,  the  five  per  cent,  or  even 
the  six  per  cent.  To  be  frank,  I  may  even  say  I  am 
not  even  a  ten  per  cent  man.  Years  ago  people 
were  satisfied  with  a  small  return  for  their  money, 
but  not  now.  Living  expenses  have  increased  enor- 
mously, rents  have  trebled,  to-day  people  demand 
as  necessities  what  to  our  forefathers  were  unheard 
of  luxuries.  If  you  want  to  hold  your  head  up 
to-day  you  need  money,  and  a  lot  of  it.  The  man 
without  money  to-day  is  a  failure,  a  disappointment 
— he  is  nothing.  He  might  as  well  drown  him- 
self  " 

The  orator  stopped,  while  Tooker  snorted  ap- 
provingly. Mr.  Emerson  raised  his  hand  impa- 
tiently. 

"My  good  Mr.  Raymond,  what  you  say  is  only 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  merest  commonplace.    What  has  this  to  do  with 
me  or  the  bank?" 

"Only  this,  sir — I'll  be  quite  frank — the  Emerson 
Bank  to-day  is  behind  the  procession.  It's  a  very 
conservative  institution,  highly  respectable  and  all 
that.  It  is  a  credit  to  you  in  that  respect.  I'll  grant 
you  that,  sir.  But  it's  not  up  to  date,  not  progres- 
sive. It's  too  old-fashioned,  and  it's  losing  ground 
daily.  You're  not  in  business  for  your  health,  I 
presume;  neither  are  we.  You  must  be  able  to  see 
for  yourself  that  we  have  no  real  standing  in  finan- 
cial circles  to-day.  Other  banks  are  paying  a  hun- 
dred, two  hundred  and  three  hundred  per  cent  to 
stockholders.  What  do  we  earn?  A  mere  baga- 
telle. It's  simply  ridiculous.  Look  at  the  Nelson 
banks.  They're  simply  coining  money,  and  inci- 
dentally cutting  into  our  business  terribly.  During 
the  last  twelve  months  they  have  taken  from  us  no 
fewer  than  five  hundred  accounts,  totaling  up  an 
aggregation  of  close  on  to  a  million  dollars.  Why? 
Because  with  their  smarter,  modern  way  of  doing 
business,  they  are  able  to  offer  bigger  inducements ; 
they  make  their  loans  on  better  terms,  and  so  forth. 
Nelson  to-day  is  one  of  the  biggest  men  in  the 

72 


THE    GAMBLERS 


financial  world.  With  the  money  under  his  control 
he  has  become  a  power  in  Wall  Street  to  be  reck- 
oned with.  How  has  he  done  it?  By  his  chain  of 
banks.  We  could  do  it,  too,  if  we  only  had  the 
nerve.  We  don't  branch  out.  We  allow  compet- 
itors to  throttle  us.  We  simply  stagnate " 

He  stopped  and  looked  at  Mr.  Emerson,  as  if 
expecting  him  to  say  something.  The  old  banker 
was  silent  for  a  moment.  He  sat  thoughtfully,  as 
if  weighing  carefully  what  they  had  said.  Then 
slowly,  deliberately,  he  said : 

"Gentlemen,  I  am  flattered  that  you  have  made 
me  your  confidant  in  this  matter.  Of  course,  you 
know  that  I  own  the  controlling  interest  in  the 
Emerson  Bank.  I  alone  have  the  power  to  dictate 
the  bank's  policy.  In  some  respects  I  agree  with 
you.  Business  methods  to-day  art  totally  different 
to  what  they  were  thirty  or  even  twenty  years  ago. 
Are  they  as  safe?  That  is  the  question.  I  would 
sacrifice  my  last  dollar  rather  than  see  a  depositor's 
money  jeopardized  in  the  slightest.  That  is  why 
we  have  pursued  this  slow,  conservative  policy, 
which,  after  all,  is  the  only  absolutely  safe  one. 
But,  as  you  say,  our  more  up-to-date  competitors 

73 


THE    GAMBLERS 


have  made  serious  inroads  into  our  business.  There 
has  been  no  way  of  preventing  it.  Depositors  in- 
sist on  higher  interest,  and  they  will  go  where  they 
can  get  it,  regardless  of  the  higher  risk.  I  realize 
all  this,  and  it  has  set  me  thinking.  My  son,  also, 
has  talked  with  me  about  it.  I  doubt  very  much 
that  I  shall  ever  be  able  to  give  my  consent  to 
any  plan  which  would  entail  a  radical  departure 
from  our  present  way  of  doing  things,  but  I  will 
think  over  what  you  say  and  see  what  can  be 
done." 

Not  satisfied  with  this  half  promise,  Raymond 
was  about  to  proceed  with  further  arguments  when 
suddenly  Isabel  entered  the  room. 

"Why,  father — gentlemen !"  she  exclaimed,  "what 
are  you  doing  in  here?  I've  been  looking  every- 
where for  you."  Looking  at  her  parent  with  fond 
solicitude,  she  added:  "Father,  you  had  better  go 
to  bed.  It's  late  for  you." 

The  old  gentleman  shook  his  head.  Patting  his 
daughter  indulgently  on  the  cheek,  he  said : 

"No,  child,  I  enjoy  it  better  than  any  of  you." 

"We've  just  been  having  a  quiet  talk  about  bank 
matters,"  interrupted  Raymond. 

74 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  girl  held  out  her  hand  to  her  father.  With 
a  smile  she  said: 

"Is  that  so?  How  curious!  That's  just  what  I 
wanted  to  speak  to  father  about.  Come,  dad,  there's 
some  one  in  the  ballroom  I  want  you  to  meet — an 
old  friend  of  mother's." 

Mr.  Emerson  rose  with  alacrity. 

"A  friend  of  your  poor  mother's !"  he  exclaimed. 

"Yes,  an  aunt  of  one  of  the  girls.  She's  just 
come.  I  want  you  to  meet  her." 

"Very  well,  daughter.  Where  is  she?  You'll 
excuse  me,  won't  you,  gentlemen?" 

He  went  away  with  Isabel  on  his  arm,  leaving  the 
two  directors  puffing  at  their  perfectos  in  silence. 

"Great  old  man,  that,  do  you  know  it?"  said 
Raymond,  with  the  sententious  gravity  of  one  mak- 
ing a  new  discovery.  Removing  his  much-chewed 
cigar  stump  from  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  he  looked 
around  under  the  chairs  for  a  cuspidor.  Not  find- 
ing one  and  disgusted  at  his  fruitless  search,  he 
replaced  the  weed  between  his  teeth  and  muttered 
viciously:  "These  'high-brow'  houses  make  me 
tired!  Where  do  they  expect  a  fellow  to  spit — on 
the  floor?1' 

75 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Tooker,  with  unsteady  hand,  refilled  his  glass. 
Raising  it  to  his  lips,  he  was  about  to  drink,  when 
suddenly  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  Wilbur  Emerson, 
who  was  hurrying  through  the  outer  hall.  He 
hailed  him. 

"Hello,  Wilbur,  my  boy!  Where  are  you  run- 
ning to?  Have  a  drink?" 

"Come  and  join  us,  Wilbur,"  chimed  in  Raymond 
cordially. 

Both  men  liked  Wilbur,  not  only  for  himself,  but 
because  he  was  useful  in  a  business  way.  He  was 
easier  to  handle  than  the  old  man,  and  as  his  posi- 
tion in  the  bank  was  steadily  growing,  they  realized 
the  importance  of  cultivating  him.  The  young  man 
stopped  and  came  over  to  where  they  stood.  Heart- 
ily he  said: 

"What  are  you  doing  here?  The  fun  is  inside, 
where  they're  dancing." 

Tooker  made  a  wry  face  as  he  retorted: 

"For  you,  yes;  we  prefer  this." 

"Chacun  a  son  gout,"  laughed  Wilbur. 

Raymond,  solemn  as  an  owl,  looked  at  the  young 
banker  in  silence.  Chewing  his  cigar  he  said : 

"Wilbur,  we've  talked  to  the  old  man.  We  told 
76 


THE    GAMBLERS 


him  just  how  matters  lay — told  him  what  we  ex- 
pect, what  we  want.  It's  up  to  you  now " 

The  young  man  started  with  surprise.  His  face 
flushing,  he  exclaimed  eagerly : 

"You  spoke  to  father?    What  did  he  say?" 

Turning  his  head  for  a  moment  to  let  fly  at  the 
cuspidor,  the  director  replied  nonchalantly: 

"Oh,  he  seemed  to  understand  the  situation.  We 
gave  it  to  him  right  from  the  shoulder.  Of  course, 
he  spoke  of  conservatism  and  all  that  kind  of  rot, 
but  I  think  if  we  keep  hammering  at  him  we  will 
get  what  we  want.  Now,  what  is  the  plan  that  you 
propose  ?" 

"Yes,  what  about  the  plan?"  chimed  in  Tooker. 

Wilbur  stood  still  for  a  moment,  looking  at  them 
without  saying  a  word.  If  his  father  was  half  way 
inclined  to  grant  the  desired  changes,  it  was  great 
news,  indeed.  It  meant  everything  to  him.  There 
were  no  heights  to  which  he  might  not  climb.  As 
he  stood  there  his  brain  began  to  work  rapidly,  his 
pulse  throbbed  quicker,  he  could  feel  the  hot  blood 
coursing  madly  through  his  veins.  This  was  the 
great  opportunity  of  his  life.  He  felt  he  was  able 
to  conquer  the  world. 

77 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Well,"  demanded  Raymond,  impatiently,  "what 
is  the  plan  ?" 

"The  plan,  gentlemen,"  he  replied  hurriedly,  "is 
in  substance  this:  We  reorganize,  with  a  capital 
of  $5,000,000.  We  proceed  immediately  to  secure 
control  of  another  bank.  Then  we  take  the  sur- 
plus of  both  to  secure  other  institutions,  until  we 
have  a  chain  of  a  dozen  or  more  banks,  giving  us 
absolute  control  of  nearly  a  hundred  millions.  With 
this  colossal  sum  in  our  hands,  do  you  realize  what 
a  power  we  shall  become  in  the  financial  world? 
We  can  bring  Wall  Street  to  its  knees." 

"Not  a  bad  scheme,"  drawled  Raymond,  nodding 
his  head  approvingly.  "Of  course,  them  big  fel- 
lows in  Wall  Street  won't  take  to  us  any  too  kindly. 
The  Money  Trust  will  come  down  on  us  good  and 
hard.  They'll  get  our  scalps  if  they  can." 

"We  won't  let  'em,  boys!  We  won't  let  'em!" 
cried  Wilbur  enthusiastically.  "We'll  play  the  game 
for  all  it's  worth,  but  we'll  keep  well  within  the 
limit,  so,  no  matter  what  emergency  arises,  each  of 
our  banks  will  be  able  to  pay  one  hundred  cents  on 
the  dollar." 

Tooker  shook  his  head  ominously. 
78 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"If  ever  they  suspect  we're  short  of  the  market 
they'll  put  on  the  screws,  and  then  where  would  we 
be?  Caught  in  a  trap." 

Wilbur  laughed  carelessly.     He  cried: 

"We'll  be  as  clever  as  they  are.  They'll  never 
catch  us  short  of  cash — trust  me  for  that.  There'll 
never  be  a  run  on  an  Emerson  Bank  while  I'm  presi- 
dent of  the  company.  Well,  boys,  this  is  agreed? 
You,  as  directors,  give  me  authority  to  go  ahead  if 
I  can  get  father's  consent." 

Almost  in  chorus  Raymond  and  Tooker  re- 
plied : 

"We  agree." 

Wilbur  beamed  with  satisfaction. 

"Very  well,"  he  said  with  a  smile.  "I  must  be 
off  now.  I  believe  my  name's  down  on  a  lady's  card 
for  the  next  waltz.  I  must  not  prove  a  defaulter. 
I'll  talk  to  the  governor  and  see  how  quickly  we  can 
begin." 

Raymond  patted  him  familiarly  on  the  back. 
Heartily,  he  exclaimed: 

"That's  the  idea,  Wilbur,  my  boy.  I  always 
knew  you  were  all  right.  You  can  tell  the  old  gen- 
tleman that  I  and  Raymond  and  Cowper  are  behind 

79 


THE    GAMBLERS 


you.  If  he  likes  he  can  call  a  special  directors' 
meeting." 

"Certainly — that's  proper,"  snorted  Tooker,  as  he 
turned  once  more  to  the  buffet. 

"Very  well,"  replied  Wilbur  hurriedly,  "leave  it 
to  me;  I'll  speak  to  father  and  let  you  know.  I 
must  go  now." 

Leaving  the  two  directors  alone,  he  hurried  in 
the  direction  of  the  reception  room.  He  had  prom- 
ised Kathryn  to  dance  the  next  waltz  with  her,  and 
the  musicians  had  just  struck  up  the  first  graceful 
measures  of  "Fledermaus."  There  was  no  time  to 
be  lost.  He  was  crossing  the  hall  when  suddenly 
he  was  bumped  violently  into  by  a  lanky  young  man 
who  ran  out  of  one  of  the  rooms. 

"Hello,  Cowper!"  exclaimed  Wilbur.  "Where 
are  you  rushing  like  that?" 

"How  do,  Wilbur?  You're  just  the  man  I'm 
looking  for." 

A  young,  oldish-looking  man  of  nervous  and 
rather  erratic  temperament,  George  Cowper  came 
of  good  family,  but  had  few  friends.  He  was  one 
of  those  men  who,  not  possessing  in  themselves 
the  capacity  of  making  friends,  are  content  to  go 

80 


THE    GAMBLERS 


through  life  without  any.  His  career  had  begun 
unfortunately  at  college.  Mixed  up  in  a  hazing 
affair,  he  turned  informer,  and  several  men  were 
expelled  in  consequence  of  his  revelations.  This 
alone  would  have  been  enough  to  turn  the  whole 
college  body  against  him,  even  had  he  been  liked 
for  himself.  But  he  was  promptly  boycotted  and 
virtually  forced  to  leave.  This  unfortunate  inci- 
dent he  had  never  been  able  to  live  down,  and  to  a 
great  extent  it  had  embittered  his  character.  He 
inherited  from  his  father  sufficient  means  to  make 
him  independent,  and,  investing  the  money  in  Em- 
erson Bank  stock,  he  was  made  director,  thanks  to 
the  influence  of  Wilbur,  who  knew  him  at  college 
and  felt  sorry  for  him,  thinking  that  he  had  been 
punished  enough. 

"You're  in  an  awful  hurry !"  exclaimed  Wilbur. 

"Oh,  excuse  me,  my  dear  fellow,"  he  stammered. 
"I  didn't  see  you.  I'm  so  happy  that  I  don't  know 
what  I'm  doing.  Congratulate  me." 

"On  what?" 

"I've  just  proposed  to  Gladys  Norman,  and  would 
you  believe  it,  she  accepts  me!" 

"Lucky  dog!"  laughed  Wilbur.  "Go  into  the 
81 


THE    GAMBLERS 


smoking  room  and  tell  Tooker.  He  and  Raymond 
are  holding  an  informal  meeting  in  there.  You'll 
be  interested.  Big  projects  are  on  foot." 

"Big  projects! — what  big  projects?"  demanded 
Cowper. 

Without  stopping  to  answer,  Wilbur  hastened 
away  to  the  ballroom. 


82 


KATHRYN  was  waiting  for  him,  seated  in  a 
far  corner  of  the  ballroom.  She  saw  him 
coming  in  the  distance,  and  he  noticed  that 
her  eyes  lit  up  with  pleasure.  A  slight  flush  suf- 
fused her  cheek  as  she  said  reproachfully : 

"How  long  you've  been !  I  thought  you  had  for- 
gotten me." 

"Forgotten  you!"  he  whispered.  "Not  while  life 
remains !" 

She  was  looking  radiant  to-night.  Her  gown 
of  old  rose  satin,  trimmed  with  Irish  point  lace,  set 
off  admirably  her  dark,  Southern  type  of  beauty. 
Cut  generously  low,  the  dress  displayed  her  beauti- 
fully moulded  shoulders  and  allowed  a  fleeting 
glimpse  of  her  full,  rounded  bosom.  Her  hair,  al- 
most black,  was  relieved  by  a  band  of  gold,  and  a 
string  of  valuable  pearls  encircled  her  slender 
throat.  For  the  time  being  she  had  forgotten 
everything,  even  Jim  Darwin  and  his  jealous  whims. 

8.3 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Recklessly,  unrestrainedly,  she  had  abandoned  her- 
self to  an  evening  of  pleasure. 

She  rose  with  a  gracious  smile  for  the  promised 
waltz,  and  as  her  hand  touched  his,  Wilbur  felt  a 
thrill  go  through  him  as  of  an  electric  shock.  Never 
had  this  woman,  whom  he  had  desired  so  long, 
appeared  to  him  so  fair.  At  this  close  physical  con- 
tact every  other  thought  left  him.  His  heart  leaped 
to  his  throat,  mad  thoughts  went  rushing  through 
his  brain.  For  a  moment  she  stood  motionless  in 
his  embrace,  waiting  until  they  caught  the  time  of 
the  music.  Then  slowly  they  began  to  turn  to  the 
languorous  music,  and  as  she  drew  closer  within 
his  arms  until  he  could  feel  her  warm  breath  upon 
his  cheek  and  he  could  smell  the  fragrance  of  her 
skin,  the  people,  the  room  itself,  all  seemed  to  dis- 
appear in  a  kind  of  enveloping  mist.  Clasped  close 
to  the  woman  he  loved,  he  forgot  everything  in  the 
ecstasy  of  the  moment.  The  music,  which  he  heard 
only  vaguely,  as  if  the  orchestra  were  away  off  in 
the  distance,  sounded  in  his  ears  like  celestial  harps. 
He  was  treading  the  fleecy  heights  of  heaven  to- 
gether with  the  one  being  who  was  all  the  world 
to  him. 

84 


THE    GAMBLERS 


As  they  whirled  along  he  wondered  what  answer 
she  would  make  to  him.  If  she  would  be  his  wife 
he  would  be  willing  to  forego  all  his  schemes  of 
financial  aggrandizement.  Much  as  his  heart  was 
set  on  this  plan  of  radical  reorganization,  full  well 
he  realized  the  peril  of  the  step.  Smarter  men  than 
he  had  been  engulfed  in  the  whirlpool  of  frenzied 
finance.  If  Kathryn  would  marry  him  he  would 
be  content  with  domestic  felicity  on  earth,  without 
trying  to  reach  to  the  stars.  Raymond  and  Tooker 
could  get  some  one  else  to  lead  them  in  the  Wall 
Street  game  of  millions.  In  the  companionship  of 
the  woman  he  loved  he  would  be  satisfied  with  the 
little  he  had.  If  she  wouldn't  marry  him — well, 
that  would  be  a  different  matter.  Certainly  he 
would  marry  no  one  else.  To-night  he  would  know 
his  fate. 

After  a  few  blissful  moments  that  flew  by  all 
too  swiftly,  the  sensuous,  dangerous  music  ceased. 
The  spell  thus  rudely  broken,  they  suddenly  found 
themselves  on  earth  again.  From  the  dizzy  heights 
of  supreme  ecstasy  once  more  they  had  descended 
to  the  trivial  and  the  commonplace.  Neither  of 
them  had  spoken,  yet  instinctively  Wilbur  felt  that 

85 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Kathryn  was  as  much  affected  as  himself.  This, 
perhaps,  was  his  opportunity,  the  psychological 
moment  he  had  waited  for  so  long.  Leading  his 
partner  in  the  direction  of  the  palm  garden,  under 
the  pretense  of  eating  a  cooling  ice,  he  found  a  cosy, 
secluded  corner  where  they  were  conveniently 
screened  from  observation  by  a  group  of  exotic 
plants. 

Still  partly  under  the  spell  of  the  waltz,  he  did 
not  trust  himself  to  speak.  He  remained  silent  and 
his  manner  was  so  constrained  that  Kathryn,  even 
though  she  divined  the  cause,  could  hardly  avoid 
commenting  upon  it.  With  forced  carelessness,  she 
said: 

"What's  the  matter  to-night,  Mr.  Emerson  ?  You 
seem  unusually  thoughtful." 

Quickly  he  turned  and,  looking  straight  into  her 
eyes,  said  in  broken  tones : 

"I'm  wondering  why  I  shouldn't  be  as  happy  as 
some  other  men— Kathryn,  I " 

At  that  instant  a  waiter  came  up  with  ices  and 
cakes.  Wilbur  scowled  at  the  man  and  under  his 
breath  consigned  him  to  a  dreadful  fate,  while 
Kathryn,  secretly  glad  of  the  interruption,  breathed 

86 


THH    GAMBLERS 


a  sigh  of  relief.  Her  engagement  to  Jim  was  still 
a  secret.  Evidently  this  man  was  about  to  propose 
to  her.  What  was  the  use?  It  would  only  pain 
her  to  refuse  him,  and  humiliate  him  to  learn  the 
truth.  Her  mind  was  fully  made  up  and  her  word 
given.  She  liked  Wilbur,  perhaps  she  only  realized 
fully  for  the  first  time  how  much  she  was  attracted 
to  him  during  that  brief  soul-disturbing  embrace  of 
the  intoxicating  waltz.  Yes,  she  knew  he  was  a 
gambler,  somewhat  of  a  black  sheep.  She  loved 
black  sheep,  yet  for  all  that,  she  was  sensible  enough 
not  to  allow  herself  to  be  governed  by  her  emo- 
tions. There  were  many  reasons  why  she  was 
rather  afraid  of  Wilbur  Emerson.  He  had  always 
been  among  the  most  ardent  and  persistent  of  her 
admirers,  and  a  single  look  would  at  any  time  have 
brought  him  to  her  feet;  but  she  had  consistently 
resisted  all  his  advances,  and  now  she  was  promised 
to  another,  it  was  all  the  more  necessary  that  she 
give  him  not  the  slightest  encouragement,  no 
matter  how  fascinating  he  might  be  personally. 
Changing  the  conversation,  she  said  indiffer- 
ently : 
"I  expected  to  see  Mr.  Darwin  here  to-night.  Do 

87 


THE    GAMBLERS 


you  know  if  he's  here?  There's  such  a  crush  it's 
hard  to  find  people." 

Curtly,  almost  savagely,  he  replied: 

"Perhaps  you'd  like  me  to  go  and  find  him  for 
you?" 

She  looked  up  at  him,  a  look  of  reproach  in  her 
dark  eyes.  Gently  she  said : 

"Mr.  Emerson,  I  am  surprised,  after  the  nice 
waltz  we've  just  had  together." 

"That's  just  it,"  he  cried  hotly.  "Why  mention 
that  man — now?  You  know  he  detests  me,  per- 
haps as  much  as  I  do  him.  Why  should  you 
care  whether  he  is  here  or  not?  What  is  he  to 
you?" 

It  was  her  cue  to  tell  him  of  her  engagement.  It 
would  have  been  only  fair,  before  letting  him  pro- 
ceed further.  Yet  why  should  she  announce  it  be- 
fore she  was  quite  ready  ?  There  were  good  reasons 
why  she  did  not  want  that  house  full  of  people  to 
know  to-night.  Once  she  told  him.  it  would  be  all 
over  town.  Besides,  she  was  eager  to  know  what 
he  was  going  to  say,  for  she  was  only  human. 
Womanlike,  she  was  curious  to  know  what  he 
would  say  and  how  he  would  say  it.  So  she  re- 

88 


THE    GAMBLERS 


mained  silent.  He  saw  her  hesitate  and,  manlike, 
construed  it  to  his  advantage. 

"Kate,"  he  blurted  out,  "I've  been  waiting  so 
long  for  this  opportunity.  I've  wanted  to  tell  you 
that  I  love  you — that  I  want  you  for  my  wife." 

Without  waiting  to  hear  her  answer,  he  went  on 
ardently : 

"You  must  have  seen  it.  I've  loved  you  ever 
since  I  firtt  met  you.  Sometimes  I've  fancied  that 
you  cared  for  me — that  you  encouraged  me.  I 
thought  I  could  detect  it  in  a  look  in  your  eyes,  in 
the  smile  on  your  lips,  in  the  grasp  of  your  hand. 
You  know  what  I  am,  what  my  position  is.  I  have 
means — I  expect  to  have  more.  I  am  now  formu- 
lating plans  that  will  make  me  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  prominent  financiers  in  this  country. 
My  success,  if  it  comes,  I  want  to  share  with  you." 

He  stopped  and  looked  at  her,  waiting  for  her 
answer.  Slowly,  deliberately,  she  laid  aside  the 
empty  ice  glass  and  shook  her  head.  Kindly  she 
said: 

"Mr.  Emerson,  you've  taken  me  completely  by 
surprise.  I  knew  we  were  good  friends,  but  the 
idea  of  anything  beyond  that  never  entered  my  head. 

89 


THE    GAMBLERS 


I  am  deeply  flattered,  and  shall  always  be  grateful 
to  you  for  the  great  compliment  you've  paid  me. 
But  it  is  impossible.  I  can't  tell  you  why.  But  it 
is  impossible." 

He  looked  at  her  fixedly  for  a  moment,  as  if  try- 
ing to  penetrate  her  mask  of  polite  reserve.  Then 
hotly,  determinedly,  he  returned  to  the  siege.  Ar- 
dently, passionately,  he  pleaded  with  her.  Some 
one  had  prejudiced  her  against  him,  the  stories  she 
had  heard  about  him  were  untrue.  His  enemies 
had  fabricated  them  to  injure  him  in  her  regard. 
He  had  been  a  little  wild,  he  admitted  that,  but  it 
was  because  he  had  no  one  to  care  for  him.  He 
needed  the  love  of  a  good  girl  to  keep  him  straight, 
to  make  a  man  of  him.  He  loved  her  passionately, 
to  distraction.  She  was  the  only  girl  he  had  ever 
loved  truly,  purely.  If  she  refused  him,  he  would 
go  to  the  dogs,  and  she  would  be  to  blame. 

He  approached  nearer  and  put  his  arm  around 
her  waist.  Clasped  close  to  him,  and  feeling  for  a 
moment  some  of  his  own  ardor,  she  wavered.  She 
looked  up  into  the  handsome  face  eagerly  bent 
down  on  hers.  His  hands  were  trembling  from 
suppressed  excitement  and  nervousness,  in  his  eyes 

90 


flashed  the  strange  fires  that  disturb  women's  souls 
and  imperil  their  virtue.  Hotly,  passionately,  he 
enfolded  her  in  his  arms,  seeking  her  mouth  with 
his,  trying  to  awaken  her  sensuality,  endeavoring 
to  win  in  a  moment  of  abandon  what  her  cooler 
common  sense  and  cold  calculation  had  always 
denied  him. 

But  Kathryn  was  not  the  kind  of  a  girl  to  be 
won  in  that  way.  Kindly  but  firmly  she  drew  away. 
Men  often  over-estimate  their  powers  of  seduction. 
It  is  easier  to  light  the  flame  of  an  extinct  volcano 
than  the  voluptuousness  of  some  women.  It  is 
merely  a  matter  of  temperament  which  different 
women  possess  in  different  degrees.  In  Kathryn 
the  mentality  was  never  subjugated  to  the  physical. 
Even  while  Wilbur's  kisses  were  hot  on  her  lips, 
her  mind  saw  the  future  clearly,  lucidly.  This 
man,  although  a  charming  companion,  was  a  spend- 
thrift, a  gambler,  a  voluptuary.  He  was  not  the 
kind  of  soul-mate  she  yearned  for;  he  would  always 
fall  short  of  satisfying  her  spiritual  and  intellectual 
wants. 

Misunderstanding  her  silence,  he  pleaded  with 
her,  ardently,  passionately: 

91 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Kathryn,"  he  murmured,  "do  not  keep  me  in 
suspense.  Tell  me — will  you  be  my  wife?" 

She  shook  her  head. 

"It's  impossible,"  she  answered  nervously.  "I'm 
very  sorry,  but  I'm  engaged  to  Mr.  Darwin." 

The  blood  receded  from  his  face,  leaving  him 
ghastly  pale.  It  was  a  totally  unexpected,  crushing 
blow.  For  a  few  seconds  he  was  too  much  stunned 
to  speak.  Rising  stiffly,  he  said  huskily : 

"I'm  sorry  you  didn't  tell  me." 

"I'm  sorry,  too,"  she  said,  half  apologetically. 
"I  didn't  want  to  tell  any  one.  It  isn't  public  yet. 
You  forced  me  to  speak.  We  are  to  be  married 
next  June."  Hastily  she  added:  "But  that  need 
make  no  difference  in  our  friendship.  I  hope  we'll 
always  be  good  friends." 

He  was  about  to  protest  when  suddenly  footsteps 
were  heard  approaching. 

"Hello,  Kate!"  said  a  man's  voice.  "I've  been 
searching  for  you  everywhere." 

The  next  instant  James  Darwin  appeared.  The 
lawyer  gave  both  a  keen,  suspicious  glance,  and 
after  shaking  hands  coolly  with  Wilbur,  turned  to 
Kathryn.  The  girl  looked  up  in  surprise. 

92 


DARWIN'    EYED   THEM    SUSPICIOUSLY. 


Page  92. 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  didn't  know  you  were  here,"  she  said  quickly. 

The  lawyer  laughed  cynically. 

"How  could  you — hidden  away  here  ?" 

Not  noticing  the  irony,  she  demanded  : 

"When  did  you  come  in?" 

"Only  a  few  minutes  ago.    I  was  detained." 

"I  began  to  think  you  weren't  coming.  Mr.  Em- 
erson has  been  very  kind  keeping  me  company." 

Darwin  bowed  coldly  and  there  was  an  awkward 
silence. 

At  that  moment  the  orchestra  struck  up  another 
waltz.  The  lawyer  extended  his  arm.  Pointedly 
he  said: 

"I  believe  this  is  my  dance." 

The  girl  rose  and,  turning  to  Wilbur,  said  with 
a  forced  smile : 

"Will  you  excuse  me?" 

He  bowed  without  replying,  and  with  a  swish  of 
her  soft  draperies  she  went  away,  leaning  on  Dar- 
win's arm. 

Standing  still,  as  if  rooted  to  the  spot,  Wilbur 
watched  his  successful  rival  lead  away  the  woman 
he  loved,  the  one  woman  for  whom  he  would  have 
done  everything,  sacrificed  everything.  So  she  was 

93 


THE    GAMBLERS 


going  to  marry  Darwin!  He  did  not  believe  for 
an  instant  that  she  really  cared  for  the  lawyer.  She 
was  ambitious,  she  had  been  dazzled  by  the  noise 
of  Darwin's  sudden  success,  fascinated  by  the  prom- 
ise of  other  triumphs  yet  to  come.  He  himself  was 
not  big  enough  for  her.  No  doubt  she  thought  him 
a  fool,  a  failure,  an  incompetent,  a  man  who  could 
never  rise  above  the  common  rut.  Well,  he  would 
show  her  that  she  was  mistaken.  From  this  mo- 
ment on  he  would  devote  all  his  energies,  every 
instant  of  his  waking  hours  to  acquiring  position 
and  fame.  Vast  wealth,  unlimited  power,  should 
be  his.  He  would  show  her  who  would  have  served 
her  social  ambitions  best — a  pettifogging  attorney 
or  a  man  at  whose  frown  Wall  Street  and  the  whole 
financial  world  would  tremble.  From  now  on  he 
would  go  in  for  the  money  game,  and  he  would  play 
it  for  big  stakes.  Yes,  the  Emerson  Bank  must 
change  its  policy.  Tooker  and  Raymond  and  the 
other  directors  were  right.  The  bank  was  away  be- 
hind the  times.  He  must  have  an  understanding  at 
once  with  his  father.  He  must  be  given  a  free  rein. 
Then,  with  the  bank  behind  him,  he  would  show  the 
world  what  he  could  do. 

94 


CHAPTER  VI 

TWO  years  sped  quickly  by.  And  what  may 
not  happen  in  the  space  of  two  years? 
Dynasties  may  crumble  and  fall,  men  may 
be  born  and  die.  The  ambitious  may  climb,  only 
to  tumble  ignominiously. 

What  had  Wilbur  Emerson  done  in  two  years? 
He  had  kept  his  word.  He  had  at  least  shown  of 
what  he  was  capable.  He  had  astonished  the  finan- 
cial world  by  his  masterful  tactics,  his  skillful 
manipulation,  his  audacious  methods.  They  hailed 
him  as  the  Napoleon  of  finance — a  wizard  of  Wall 
Street.  His  success  had  been  complete,  over- 
whelming. 

But  it  had  not  been  accomplished  without  a  strug- 
gle. Mr.  Emerson,  ST.,  had  fought  the  proposed 
reorganization  plan  hard.  He  refused  to  sanction 
the  suggestion  of  a  chain  of  banks,  and  he  opposed 
the  new  policy  with  all  the  vigor  of  which  he  was 
capable.  Each  director,  Mr.  Tooker,  Mr.  Raymond, 
and  Mr.  Cowper,  took  the  old  gentleman  in  hand 

95 


THE    GAMBLERS 


in  turn,  and  argued  in  support  of  Wilbur's  scheme, 
all  to  no  avail.  He  flatly  refused  to  be  convinced, 
and  for  a  time  the  directors  retired  from  the  field, 
despairing  of  success.  Wilbur  alone  persisted.  His 
mind  was  fully  made  up.  No  one — not  even  his 
father,  whom  he  loved  and  revered — could  deter 
him,  once  that  he  was  convinced  that  in  a  change 
of  policy  alone  lay  his  stepping-stone  to  success  and 
world  recognition.  He  persisted  in  his  arguments, 
his  pleadings.  A  drop  of  water  constantly  dropping 
in  one  spot  will  in  time  wear  away  the  stone.  In 
time  his  forceful  arguments  began  to  have  their 
effect  on  his  father. 

John  Emerson  was  a  man  of  strong  character 
and  the  highest  integrity.  No  one  could  tempt  him 
to  deviate  from  the  course,  once  he  was  convinced 
that  it  was  the  right  one.  Yet,  in  the  armor  of  all 
strong  men  there  is  a  weak  spot  somewhere.  The 
weak  spot  of  John  Emerson  was  his  love  for  his 
son.  The  way  Wilbur  put  the  matter  before  him 
caused  him  to  reflect.  He  was  getting  old.  In  the 
natural  course  of  things,  he  would  not  live  very 
much  longer.  His  son  would  succeed  him  as  head 
of  the  Emerson  Bank.  Was  it  fair  to  handicap 

96 


THE    GAMBLERS 


his  son  by  insisting  on  the  continuance  of  a  policy, 
no  matter  how  sound,  which  the  other  directors 
pronounced  out  of  date  and  non-progressive?  Cer- 
tainly he  sympathized  with  some  of  the  arguments 
advanced.  Their  younger  competitors  were  taking 
away  their  business.  The  only  way  to  fight  them 
successfully  was  to  use  their  own  weapons,  organize 
a  chain  of  banks  which,  by  the  sheer  weight  of 
money,  would  either  keep  them  at  bay  or  compel 
them  to  retreat.  All  this  the  old  gentleman  consid- 
ered, until  one  morning  he  called  Wilbur  into  his 
room. 

"My  boy,"  he  said,  "I've  thought  it  all  out.  Per- 
haps you're  right.  I  guess  I'm  getting  old.  I  con- 
fess I  don't  understand  these  modern  financial 
methods.  I'm  going  to  let  you  work  things  out 
your  own  way,  boy.  I've  the  greatest  confidence 
in  you.  Go  in  and  win,  and  God  bless  you!" 

From  that  moment  the  Emerson  Bank  occupied 
a  new  place  in  metropolitan  financial  affairs.  From 
an  old-fashioned,  conservative  house,  steadfastly 
faithful  to  the  principles  of  sound  banking  practice, 
catering  to  and  patronized  by  a  quiet,  staid,  exclu- 
sive clientele,  it  became  almost  over-night  an  ag- 

97 


THE    GAMBLERS 


gressive,  enterprising  and  powerful  institution,  with 
branches  scattered  all  over  the  city.  Given  a  free 
rein  in  the  management  and  backed  up  by  Tooker, 
Raymond  and  Cowper,  which  gave  him  a  majority 
on  the  directorate,  Wilbur  started  in  to  organize  a 
chain  of  banks,  acquiring  by  purchase  of  majority 
stock,  a  number  of  institutions  which  insured  him 
direct  and  sole  control  of  almost  unlimited  cap- 
ital. 

Now  the  master  of  millions,  he  became  a  money 
power.  Entering  Wall  Street,  he  played  the  game 
of  stock  manipulation  on  a  colossal  scale.  He 
bought  the  controlling  interest  in  important  rail- 
roads which,  by  skillful  maneuvering,  he  sold  later 
at  an  enormous  profit  to  competing  lines.  He  or- 
ganized giant  corporations,  created  vast  trust  com- 
panies which  opened  imposing  offices  in  all  the  big 
cities  in  the  Union.  The  name  of  Wilbur  Emerson 
was  on  every  one's  lips.  Men  courted  his  favor, 
trembled  at  his  frown.  He  was  a  huge,  undisputed 
success,  and  the  wealth  he  quickly  piled  up  was 
shared  by  his  fortunate  associates. 

"I  always  said  Wilbur  would  make  good," 
grinned  Tooker,  pulling  a  wry  face  as  he  quaffed 

98 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  glass  of  water,  the  only  refreshment  available, 
to  his  regret,  at  directors'  meetings. 

"You  mean  he's  fixed  us  good,"  interrupted  Cow- 
per,  suddenly  awakened  from  his  day  dream. 

Jubilantly  the  young  director  was  counting  the 
days  that  still  remained  before  his  wedding  day. 
Gladys  had  heretofore  insisted  on  a  preposterously 
long  engagement,  saying  that  no  girl  should  be 
willing  to  marry  a  man  for  life  unless  she  had  had 
him  under  observation  for  at  least  a  couple  of  years. 
But  the  wonderful  success  recently  of  all  the  Emer- 
son interests,  in  which  success,  of  course,  Mr.  Cow- 
per  shared,  induced  her  to  view  the  matter  in  a  dif- 
ferent light,  and  without  further  ado  she  had  con- 
sented to  advance  the  date  of  the  marriage. 

"Thank  God  it  has  turned  out  all  right!"  mur- 
mured old  Mr.  Emerson.  "I  had  my  doubts,  my 
misgivings  in  the  beginning,  but  I  guess  you  gentle- 
men were  right.  I  didn't  understand  modern  finan- 
cial methods." 

While  fortune  had  smiled  on  Wilbur  Emerson 
and  his  projects,  it  had  not  neglected  its  other  favor- 
ites. James  Darwin,  supported  by  a  large  majority 
at  the  last  election,  was  now  district  attorney,  and 

99 


THE    GAMBLERS 


there  was  every  promise  of  still  higher  political  ad- 
vancement. His  talent  and  energy,  and  the  deter- 
mined vigorous  warfare  which  he  fearlessly  waged 
against  malefactors  of  every  class,  regardless  of 
influence  of  wealth,  had  made  him  the  popular  idol 
of  the  hour. 

For  all  the  world  knew  to  the  contrary,  his  mar- 
ried life  was  a  very  happy  one.  He  and  his  beauti- 
ful young  wife  had  a  splendid  home  on  Riverside 
Drive,  where  they  entertained  a  good  deal,  but 
Kathryn  had  never  been  over-fond  of  society.  She 
had  little  patience  with  silly,  giggling  women,  and 
stupid  people  bored  her.  She  was  content  with  the 
companionship  of  a  few  selected  friends  and  the 
intellectual  delights  that  her  reading  and  music  gave 
her,  reveling  in  the  joys  of  a  fine  library,  and  stim- 
ulated by  intellectual  association  with  a  brilliant 
husband.  The  outside  world,  which  often  forms 
an  opinion  when  quite  ignorant  of  the  real  facts, 
considered  that  she  had  every  reason  to  feel  happy 
and  content.  She  looked  unusually  well,  and  had 
developed  mentally  and  physically,  blossoming  out 
as  young  married  women  do,  like  lovely  flowers,  to 
maturity.  Her  cheeks  had  the  ruddy  glow  of  health 

TOO 


THE    GAMBLERS 


and  her  line,  dark  eyes  sparkled  with  exuberance 
and  the  joy  of  living. 

In  spite  of  her  husband's  aloofness,  she  often  vis- 
ited the  Emersons,  usually  when  she  was  sure  that 
Wilbur  was  away  from  home.  For,  as  she  put  it, 
Jim  was  dreadfully  jealous  and  she  had  to  be  very 
careful.  One  day  she  explained  matters  frankly  to 
Isabel. 

"Jim  is  kind,  perfectly  charming.  He  is  an  un- 
usual man,  with  sterling  qualities  of  heart  and 
mind.  As  far  as  I  can  discover,  he  has  only  one 
fault.  He  is  insanely,  unreasonably  jealous.  Why, 
I  dare  not  even  look  at  a  man.  For  some  reason 
he  is  frightfully  jealous  of  your  brother,  Wilbur. 
He  can't  even  hear  his  name  mentioned.  Of  course, 
it's  absurd,  and  sometimes  it  makes  me  very  angry. 
He  actually  insisted  that  I  stop  coming  here.  I 
laughed  at  him.  The  idea!  Just  as  if  I  were  going 
to  give  up  my  best  girlhood  friend  simply  because 
he's  absurdly  jealous — without  cause." 

Isabel  listened  and  shook  her  head. 

"Ah,  Kate,  if  you  had  only  married  Wilbur!" 

The  district  attorney's  wife  looked  away  as  she 
asked : 

101 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Does  he  ever  speak  of  me?" 

Isabel  shook  her  head. 

"No,  I  think  he's  trying  to  forget  you.  Be- 
sides, he's  very  busy  with  his  financial  opera- 
tions." 

Kathryn  was  silent.  A  recollection  of  that  night 
of  the  dance  was  still  fresh  in  her  mind.  Almost 
directly  afterwards  her  engagement  to  Mr.  Darwin 
was  made  public,  and  she  saw  Wilbur  no  more. 
Sometimes  she  caught  a  glimpse  of  him  on  the  Ave- 
nue, but  otherwise  their  pleasant  intimacy  was  at 
an  end.  One  day  they  met  by  accident  at  an  "at 
home."  It  was  very  embarrassing.  He  was  polite 
and  amiable,  but  once,  when  suddenly  she  turned 
and  caught  him  looking  at  her,  she  thought  she 
detected  a  sad,  reproachful  expression  in  his  face. 
Only  recently  she  had  seen  him  in  a  cab  driving 
down  Fifth  Avenue  at  breakneck  speed.  His  face 
looked  stern  and  set. 

"I  saw  your  brother  on  the  avenue  the  other  day," 
she  said.  "He  was  looking  pale  and  worried.  I 
hope  he  isn't  ill." 

"No,  no,"  replied  Isabel  quickly.  "Wilbur  is  all 
right.  At  least,  I  suppose  so.  He  nerer  complains. 

1 02 


THE    GAMBLERS 


We  don't  see  much  of  him.  He  is  tremendously 
busy." 

"Yes,"  replied  Kathryn  thoughtfully.  "He  has 
been  wonderfully  successful,  hasn't  he?" 

Wonderfully  successful !  Such  is  the  hasty,  su- 
perficial judgment  of  the  world,  easily  deceived  by 
appearances,  ignorant  of  the  truth. 


103 


CHAPTER  VII 

IT  has  been  calculated  that  a  financial  crisis  may 
be  expected  in  the  United  States  about  every 
ten  years.  The  progress  of  these  stupendous 
cataclysms  which,  spreading  misery  and  terror  in 
their  path,  come  in  cycles  every  decade,  may  be 
easily  followed  by  the  student  of  economics.  First 
there  is  the  slow  recovery  from  the  previous  panic, 
a  long  period  of  discouragement  and  business  de- 
pression. Capital  is  timid ;  public  confidence  is  not 
yet  restored.  People  are  compelled  to  retrench; 
trade  is  bad  everywhere.  This  continues  for  about 
five  years.  Then,  as  time  goes  on,  the  salutary  les- 
sons of  the  past  are  gradually  forgotten.  Capital 
becomes  bolder ;  business  starts  to  boom,  the  public, 
growing  more  optimistic  daily,  rushes  headlong  into 
all  kinds  of  new  enterprises.  The  pace  grows 
swifter.  Soon  factories  and  industries  all  over  the 
land  are  working  overtime.  The  production  is 
prodigious,  the  public  extravagance  unlimited. 
There  is  frenzied  speculation  on  the  Stock  Ex- 

104 


THE    GAMBLERS 


change.  The  prices  of  securities  soar  to  record 
heights.  Apparently  the  country  was  never  so  pros- 
perous. All  at  once,  without  warning,  the  skies 
darken;  there  is  an  ominous  creak  in  the  flimsily 
constructed  edifice.  A  bank  closes  its  doors.  Dis- 
quieting rumors  continue.  People  run  to  withdraw 
savings  from  the  banks  and  hoard  their  money.  The 
cycle  has  once  more  completed  its  course.  Another 
panic  is  on. 

In  the  late  autumn  of  1906  there  was  nothing  in 
the  air  or  the  general  aspect  of  things  to  warn  peo- 
ple that  the  dreaded  cycle  was  again  at  hand  and 
that  the  country  was  fast  drifting  towards  one  of 
the  worst  crises  in  its  history.  A  stroll  along 
Broadway  revealed  nothing  wrong.  The  stores 
were  full  of  shoppers,  the  hotels  and  theatres  were 
doing  a  capacity  business.  The  banks,  securely  pro- 
tected on  the  outside  by  massive  steel  bars,  but 
strangely  neglectful  of  the  thieves  within,  transacted 
their  normal  amount  of  business,  accepting  serenely 
the  money  of  trusting  depositors.  The  streets  were 
crowded  with  smart  vehicles  and  well  dressed  peo- 
ple. There  was  evidence  of  wealth  and  luxury, 
gaiety  and  laughter  everywhere.  Factories  and 

105 


THE    GAMBLERS 


mills  were  humming  to  their  capacity.  Public  works 
were  being  promoted,  industrial  enterprises  of  all 
kinds  undertaken.  Apparently  the  country  was  never 
so  prosperous.  And  on  the  tip  of  every  tongue  was 
the  name  of  Wilbur  Emerson,  the  young  Napoleon 
of  Finance  who  had  astonished  the  world  by  the 
magnitude  of  his  operations,  the  sheer  audacity  of 
his  deals,  the  amazing  skill  with  which  he  handled 
the  most  intricate  financial  problems.  His  banks  were 
all  flourishing;  almost  every  month  he  was  adding 
to  their  number.  Already  Wall  Street  had  felt  the 
weight  of  the  vast  sums  which  had  now  passed  un- 
der his  direct  control.  The  Money  Trust,  greedy 
for  monopoly  and  jealous  of  any  newcomer  who 
challenged  its  supremacy,  took  alarm.  If  Emerson 
were  permitted  to  go  on  building  up  his  chain  of 
banks  in  this  manner,  there  was  no  telling  what  the 
end  might  be.  The  supreme  power  might  be  trans- 
ferred to  other  and  abler  hands.  There  were  hur- 
ried secret  sessions  in  the  tall  buildings  that  frown 
down  upon  lower  Broadway.  The  money  kings, 
recognizing  in  Wilbur  Emerson  a  dangerous  rival, 
decreed  his  ruin. 

One  day  stocks  began  to  sell  off  on  the  Exchange. 
1 06 


THE    GAMBLERS 


At  first  no  one  paid  any  particular  attention.  The 
market  had  been  going  up  for  some  time,  and  a  re- 
action was  long  overdue,  but  when  the  days  passed 
and  the  decline  continued,  apparently  without  rea- 
son, the  movement  began  to  attract  attention.  Who 
was  selling? 

Instead  of  abating,  the  decline  continued,  prices 
falling  away  with  the  speed  of  snow  melting  under 
the  rays  of  the  warm  spring  sun.  The  brokers' 
offices  were  crowded  with  men  who  watched  the 
board  with  drawn,  anxious  faces.  All  sorts  of  ru- 
mors were  flying  around.  The  timid  ones,  appre- 
hensive of  the  worst,  began  to  let  go  their  holdings. 
In  a  single  afternoon  Steel  Common  dropped  from 
50  to  43;  Union  Pacific  from  120  to  no;  Reading 
from  89  to  83.  The  next  day  the  slaughter  of 
prices  continued.  Feverish  at  the  opening,  stocks 
were  urgently  pressed  for  sale  until,  all  at  once,  the 
hitherto  steady  decline  developed  into  a  demoralized 
rout.  Pandemonium  reigned  on  the  floor  of  the 
Stock  Exchange  as  the  excited  brokers  threw  over 
great  blocks  of  stocks  for  whatever  price  they  would 
bring,  and  amid  wild  scenes  of  tumultuous  disorder 
made  frantic  efforts  to  execute  their  clients'  orders. 

107 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur,  bending  nervously  over  the  ticker  in  his 
private  office  in  the  Emerson  Bank,  watched  with 
blanched  face  and  quivering  lip  the  raging  of  the 
terrific  financial  battle.  Telephone  calls  had  already 
summoned  Raymond,  Tooker  and  Cowper  to  a  hur- 
ried directors'  meeting.  The  president's  tremulous 
hand  held  the  ribbon  as  it  ran  out  of  the  machine 
telling  the  tragic  story:  US.,  32;  UP.,  115;  RG., 
79 ;  Cen,  97 — the  whole  market  down  twenty  dollars 
a  share  from  the  high,  and  still  falling! 

"My  God!"  he  muttered  between  his  teeth. 
"Where  will  they  end?  If  this  goes  on  we  are 
ruined;  we  face  disgrace,  and  worse!" 

Unless  the  decline  was  soon  checked,  there  was 
no  telling  what  disaster  might  ensue,  not  only  to 
Emerson  interests,  but  to  the  whole  country.  Pub- 
lic confidence  would  be  shaken,  there  would  be  runs 
on  the  banks,  thousands  of  people  would  be  made 
paupers.  Well  he  understood  what  it  all  meant. 
This  was  a  deadly  blow  directed  at  himself.  Took- 
er's  warning  was  prophetic.  The  Money  Trust  had 
set  a  trap  and  they  had  fallen  in  blindfolded.  This 
unexpected  break,  coming  suddenly  at  a  moment 
when  everything  seemed  serene,  had  caught  them 

1 08 


THE    GAMBLERS 


unprepared,  and  this,  too,  when  all  their  resources 
were  tied  up  in  the  new  merger  scheme.  Practically 
every  dollar  they  had  was  invested.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  realize  in  this  market  without  fearful  loss,  yet 
suppose  the  decline  went  on  and  the  public,  easily 
frightened,  started  to  withdraw  money  from  the 
banks?  What  then?  They  were  heavily  involved. 
Perhaps  the  Money  Trust  suspected  as  much.  Once 
let  the  rumor  start  and  the  Clearing  House  refuse 
their  paper,  and  they  were  done  for.  That  would 
be  the  end ! 

As  he  realized  in  what  peril  he  and  his  fellow 
directors  stood,  Wilbur  turned  hot  and  cold  in  turns. 
He  blamed  himself.  He  should  have  been  more 
cautious,  more  prudent.  What  would  his  father 
say?  He  had  no  idea,  he  never  dreamed  to 
what  extent  they  were  involved.  He  had 
questioned  nothing,  he  had  trusted  him  im- 
plicitly, proud  of  his  son's  success,  apologetic  be- 
cause he  had  opposed  modern  methods  so  long. 
Modern  methods !  Ah,  what  a  bitter  mockery !  The 
family's  entire  fortune  might  be  swept  away  and 
his  father  reduced  to  want  in  his  old  age.  The 
thought  was  maddening.  Sooner  than  that,  he 

109 


GAMBLERS 


would  kill  himself.  Yet  what  good  would  that  do? 
That  was  the  coward's  way.  No,  he  must  remain 
to  fight  it  out,  to  provide,  if  necessary,  for  the 
dear  ones  whose  future  happiness  and  comfort  had 
been  imperiled  by  his  recklessness.  Now,  perhaps, 
for  the  first  time,  he  could  picture  the  mental  agony 
of  those  men  who,  caught  in  like  manner,  have 
ended  it  with  a  bullet  rather  than  face  exposure. 

Suddenly  the  door  opened  and  Raymond  entered 
hurriedly,  followed  by  looker.  The  directors' 
faces  showed  that  they  were  badly  frightened. 

"Well  ?"  demanded  Raymond,  going  to  the  ticker. 
"How  are  prices  now  ?" 

"They  can't  keep  going  down,"  muttered  Tooker 
anxiously.  "There  must  be  a  bottom  somewhere !" 

While  Wilbur  continued  to  pace  the  floor,  Ray- 
mond picked  up  the  tape  which,  like  a  long,  wrig- 
gling snake,  had  overfilled  the  basket  and  spread 
out  all  over  the  floor,  and  with  the  inevitable  cigar 
jammed  into  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  he  read  ofT: 
.  "US.,  2Sy2  ;  UP.,  109;  Cen,  92  ^  ;  SR,  67." 

A  groan  from  his  associates  interrupted  him. 
Meantime  Cowper  had  quietly  entered  the  room  and 
joined  the  throng  gathered  round  the  ticker  Ray- 
no 


THE    GAMBLERS 


mond  threw  down  the  tape  and  dropped  into  a  chair. 

"Good  God!"  exclaimed  Tooker,  "this  is  awful. 
Do  you  fellows  realize  what  it  means?" 

Wilbur  turned  and  faced  him.  With  forced 
calmness  he  said: 

"Yes,  it  means  a  run  on  all  our  banks,  and  we  are 
utterly  unprepared." 

"But  we  are  solvent,  aren't  we?"  exclaimed 
Cowper. 

"Yes,  if  we  had  time  to  realize  on  our  securities," 
replied  Wilbur  quickly.  "But  we  need  ready  cash 
and " 

He  stopped  and  looked  squarely  at  each  director. 
No  one  spoke.  The  silence  was  oppressive.  Wil- 
bur continued : 

"It  has  taken  all  our  capital,  as  you  know,  gen- 
tlemen, to  put  through  the  mergers.  If  this  raid 
on  the  market  had  happened  a  month  later,  we 
should  have  been  all  right;  but  coming  now,  it  cre- 
ates a  desperate  situation.  That  is  the  long  and 
short  of  it." 

Raymond  gave  vent  to  an  expressive  grunt. 
Surlily  he  said : 

"This  comes  of  going  in  too  deep." 
in 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Tooker  flared  up  angrily. 

"Now,  what's  the  use  of  doing  the  baby  act, 
Giles?  You  voted  with  all  of  us  for  the  mergers 
to  be  put  through,  and  you  knew  exactly  where  the 
money  was  to  come  from.  You  make  me  tired !" 

Wilbur  put  up  his  hand. 

"Gentlemen,  no  words,  please.  This  is  no  time 
for  quarreling.  The  question  is,  what  can  we  do 
to  meet  this  emergency?" 

At  that  instant  the  telephone  bell  rang.  Quickly 
Wilbur  snatched  up  the  receiver.  After  listening  a 
moment  he  hung  it  up  and  turned  to  his  fellow 
directors.  His  face  was  a  shade  whiter  and  his 
lips  trembled  as  he  said: 

"It  is  as  feared.  A  quiet  run  has  set  in  on  our 
downtown  bank.  The  manager  of  the  Broadway 
bank  telephones  that  the  line  already  extends  to  the 
street.  There  is  enough  money  to  last  through  to- 
day, but  to-morrow " 

"To-morrow?"  echoed  the  directors  in  chorus. 
"What  about  our  reserves — they  are  intact !" 

"Unless  we  can  raise  $2,000,000  in  gold  by  nine 
o'clock  to-morrow  morning,"  repeated  Wilbur 
coldly,  without  noticing  the  interruption,  "the  Em- 

112 


THE    GAMBLERS 


erson  banks  will  be  forced  to  suspend.  I'm  not 
afraid  of  the  run.  We've  got  enough  cash  now  in 
the  vaults  to  pay  everyone  who  comes.  In  our  dif- 
ferent branches  we  have  still  got  more  than 
$5,000,000  in  gold.  But  just  now  we  need  some  of 
that  money  for  other  purposes  than  paying  out  to 
frightened  depositors.  We're  caught  long  of  the 
market.  That  Nelson  merger  must  go  through,  or 
we  might  just  as  well  surrender  to  our  enemies  now 
and  confess  ourselves  beaten.  To  carry  out  this 
deal  to  a  successful  issue  and  to  protect  ourselves 
in  the  Street,  I  must  have  to-morrow  morning  at 
least  $2,000,000." 

"Two  millions  in  gold!"  cried  the  directors  in 
dismay. 

"Two  millions  in  gold,"  repeated  Wilbur  calmly. 

"Where  can  we  get  it?"  demanded  Raymond. 

"Let's  hear  what  you  propose,"  said  Tooker. 

"Have  you  any  idea?"  inquired  Cowper. 

Wilbur  faced  his  associates  calmly.  His  face 
was  white  as  death,  but  about  his  mouth  were  the 
determined  lines,  the  set  expression  of  the  man 
who,  driven  into  a  corner,  still  refuses  to  admit  he 
is  defeated.  His  enemies  should  not  triumph  over 


THE    GAMBLERS 


his  downfall.  What  he  was  about  to  propose  was 
as  audacious,  as  daring,  as  anything  as  he  had  yet 
done.  It  was  a  crime.  Yet  there  was  no  help  for 
it.  It  must  be  done,  if  only  to  save  hundreds  of 
people  from  ruin.  The  Money  Trust  was  fighting 
him  unfairly,  unlawfully;  well,  he  would  protect 
himself,  even  if  he  had  to  break  the  Federal  bank- 
ing laws.  Facing  his  associates,  he  said  calmly : 

"Yes,  gentlemen,  I  have  a  plan ;  it  is  the  only  way 
to  save  ourselves  from  disgrace  and  ruin.  If  we 
can  stop  the  run  and  restore  confidence,  we  shall 
win  the  day.  When  the  Emerson  banks  open  to- 
morrow morning  they  must  be  stacked  high  with 
money,  so  all  who  come  may  see  and  go  out  and  tell 
the  rest.  Our  merger  must  go  through.  We  must 
present  a  smiling  face  to  our  foes.  Where  can  we 
get  that  money?  I'll  tell  you.  There  is  no  time 
for  that.  Quick  action  is  necessary.  We  must  take 
it  from  the  reserve " 

"What?  Touch  the  reserves?"  ejaculated  Ray- 
mond, startled. 

"Touch  the  reserves!"  exclaimed  Tooker  and 
Cowper. 

"No,  gentlemen,  just  borrow  from  the  reserves, 
114 


THE    GAMBLERS 


that's  all.  We  need  two  millions ;  I  think  that  sum 
will  tide  us  over.  There  are  two  millions  in  cash 
downstairs  in  our  vaults  at  the  present  moment.  I 
had  hoped  to  leave  the  reserves  intact.  It  is  im- 
possible. We  are  in  too  deep.  We  will  take  that 
money  and  put  up  collateral." 

"Collateral?"  interrupted  Tooker.  "What  col- 
lateral?" 

"Our  notes,  gentlemen.  Each  of  us  will  give 
his  note  for  $400,000 — Raymond,  Tooker,  Cowper, 
my  father  and  myself.  There  will  be  five  notes 
aggregating  $2,000,000." 

Raymond  shook  his  head. 

"It's  monkeying  with  a  buzz  saw,  my  boy.  If 
the  bank  examiners  got  wind  of  that  there'd  be  the 
devil  to  pay." 

"Yes,  it's  dangerous!"  objected  Tooker. 

"Can  you  suggest  any  other  course?"  demanded 
Wilbur.  As  no  one  spoke  he  went  on:  "The 
money  is  only  taken  for  two  days.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  we  can  borrow  enough  to  take  up  the 
notes.  It's  only  a  question  of  getting  out  among 
our  friends.  You,  Raymond ;  you,  Tooker,  can  eas- 
ily raise  half  a  million  each." 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Raymond  nodded. 

"Yes,  if  I  have  time.  I  guess  it's  as  good  a  plan 
as  there  is.  As  you  say,  we'll  take  up  the  notes  and 
no  one  will  be  the  wiser.  But  what  about  your 
father?  Will  he  be  willing?" 

Wilbur  nodded.    Quickly  he  said : 

"I'll  see  my  father.    He'll  do  anything  I  say." 

"All  right,"  said  Raymond,  "prepare  the  note 
and  I'll  sign  it." 

"Very  well,"  chimed  in  Tooker  and  Cowper, 
"we'll  sign." 

Cowper  picked  up  the  tape. 

"How  are  prices  now?"  demanded  Wilbur 
quickly. 

Cowper  gave  an  exclamation  of  dismay. 

"Great  God!  Just  look  at  it!  The  bottom's 
fallen  out  of  the  market.  They're  throwing  stocks 
away  for  anything  they'll  bring." 

The  telephone  bell  rang  again.  Wilbur  unhooked 
the  receiver  and  put  it  to  his  ear.  After  listening 
a  moment  he  spoke  through  the  receiver. 

"It's  all  right,  we're  watching  the  market;  the 
turn  must  come  soon.  Don't  sell  us  out  on  any 
account.  We'll  send  you  $500,000  more  margin 

116 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to-morrow.  Keep  on  buying-  all  the  Reading  in 
sight  below  seventy." 

Hanging1  up  the  receiver,  he  turned  to  his  asso- 
ciates and  exclaimed  hoarsely: 

"It's  our  broker.  We're  long  of  Reading  at  101. 
It's  selling  at  74.  He  demands  more  margin  im- 
mediately." 

"That's  all  right,"  drawled  Raymond.  "He 
shall  have  it.  Draw  those  notes  and  we'll  sign 
them." 


117 


CHAPTER  VIII 

FOUR  o'clock  was  striking  in  the  big  custom- 
ers' room  of  the  Emerson  Bank.    The  day's 
business  was  over.    The  tellers  had  gone 
home.    The  clerks  were  closing  their  ledgers.    Soon 
the  last  employee  had  taken  his  departure  and  the 
watchman  began  to  get  busy  locking  and  barring 
the  massive  steel  doors. 

The  bank  was  deserted,  yet  not  everybody  had 
gone.  Upstairs  in  his  private  office  Wilbur  Emer- 
son sat  at  his  desk,  deep  in  the  study  of  a  number 
of  loose  sheets  of  paper,  closely  filled  with  figures 
and  intricate  calculations.  Every  now  and  then  he 
rose  from  his  seat,  and  going  to  the  now  silent  stock 
ticker,  picked  up  the  tape  and  ran  over  the  cabalistic 
signs  and  figures.  Then,  throwing  it  aside  with  a 
gesture  of  impatience,  he  strode  nervously  up  and 
down  the  room. 

"Why  doesn't  Cowper  come?"  he  muttered  to 
himself.  "It's  past  four.  He  ought  to  be  here.  If 
he's  only  been  able  to  raise  the  money,  it  will  put 
us  right." 

118 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Dropping  into  the  seat  at  the  desk,  he  buried  his 
face  in  his  two  hands.  The  continued  mental  and 
physical  strain  was  more  than  he  could  bear.  Unless 
the  tide  turned  soon  he  would  be  an  utter  wreck. 
People  envied  him,  talked  about  his  success.  Little 
they  knew  what  it  had  cost.  What  does  the  world 
know  or  care?  The  man  who,  by  sheer  audacity, 
does  big  things  is  the  hero  of  the  hour.  While  the 
sun  shines  he  is  courted,  envied;  but  once  let  the 
tide  turn ;  his  friends  fall  away,  he  is  maligned,  for- 
gotten. Who  can  guess  at  what  cost  this  apparent 
success,  this  tremendous  publicity  has  been  attained, 
at  what  awful  sacrifice  of  health  or  honor,  or  both? 
He  had  succeeded  beyond  his  wildest  hopes.  He 
had  tasted  the  sweets  of  power,  great  wealth  had 
been  within  his  grasp.  But  now  the  tide  seemed  on 
the  ebb.  Of  late  things  had  gone  badly.  He  had 
avoided  destruction  only  by  a  fluke. 

As  he  sat  there  all  alone  thinking,  scheming,  the 
seriousness  of  his  position  became  clearer  to  him. 
Something  must  be  done  and  quickly.  The  strain 
he  was  under  was  slowly  undermining  his  reason. 
Utterly  exhausted,  he  felt  himself  about  to  collapse. 
Gradually  his  highly  nervous  condition  gave  way 

119 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  a  dull  feeling  of  insensibility  and  indifference 
The  world  and  its  affairs  seemed  a  million  miles 
away.  All  outward  disturbances — the  cries  in  the 
streets,  the  noise  of  traffic,  the  tick  of  the  clock — 
had  a  strange,  far-away  sound.  They  were  there, 
as  usual,  but  he  heard  them  not.  Before  his  feverish 
mental  vision  arose  the  face  and  form  of  a  girl 
whose  image  he  had  never  ceased  to  carry  in  his 
heart,  although  she  had  married  another  man. 
What  would  she  say  to  his  disgrace  ?  In  his  fevered 
fancy  he  thought  he  could  detect  an  expression  of 
sadness  in  her  large,  luminous  dark  eyes.  She 
seemed  to  beckon  him  to  come  to  her,  as  if  she  had 
something  important  to  impart  to  him.  Perhaps 
she  was  unhappy  with  her  husband.  How  Dar- 
win would  exult  over  his  downfall!  Already  he 
could  hear  him  exclaiming  gleefully:  "I  told  you 
so!"  What  a  sacrifice  she  had  made  of  her  life, 
what  a  wreck  they  had  made  of  both  their  lives! 
If  she  had  married  him,  things  might  have  been 
different.  He  would  not  have  been  tempted  into 
all  this  wild  frenzy  of  speculation.  She  would  have 
been  his  guiding  star,  his  sane  adviser. 

If  he  got  out  of  this  scrape  it  would  be  a  lesson 
1 20 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  him.  Never  again  would  he  allow  himself  to  be 
tempted.  It  was  not  his  fault  if  the  bank  had  be- 
come so  deeply  involved.  No  man  with  red  blood 
in  his  veins  would  have  acted  differently.  He  had 
done  it  for  the  best.  If  he  had  not  succeeded  in 
making  that  merger  with  the  Nelson  Bank  the 
other  fellows — powerful  business  rivals — would 
have  at  once  secured  control.  The  situation  was 
such  that  it  became  absolutely  imperative  to  block 
their  game.  To  make  the  merger,  money  was 
needed — a  lot  of  money.  None  was  available. 
Carefully  made  plans  for  the  quick  realization  of 
a  million  dollars  had  failed — failed  miserably  at  the 
eleventh  hour.  Then  the  market  went  to  pieces. 
They  had  to  protect  their  holdings  at  all  hazards. 
A  loan  was  out  of  the  question.  There  was  no  time 
for  that.  Yet  they  must  have  money  if  they  were  to 
circumvent  and  thwart  their  foes.  Money  he  had  to 
get,  somehow,  somewhere.  All  at  once,  like  a  flash,  it 
had  dawned  upon  him — the  vaults  of  the  Emerson 
banks!  Over  five  million  dollars  in  specie  lay  idle 
in  the  vaults.  By  using  some  of  it  he  could  make 
it  yield  a  return  to  the  stockholders  of  over  25  per 
cent.  It  was  a  legitimate  business  transaction.  The 

121 


THE    GAMBLERS 


merger  would  promote  their  interests.  Of  course,  it 
was  dangerous,  it  was  wrong,  to  touch  the  bank's 
reserves.  But  who  would  be  the  wiser?  It  would 
never  get  out.  The  personal  notes  of  himself  and 
his  fellow  directors  were  collateral  for  the  loan. 
There  was  plenty  of  time  to  take  up  the  notes  and 
pay  back  the  money.  The  bank  had  only  recently 
been  examined;  another  examination  was  not  due 
for  months. 

Well,  it  was  all  over  with  now.  For  the  time 
being  they  had  confounded  their  enemies  and  had 
a  breathing  spell.  The  Money  Trust,  amazed  at 
their  powers  of  resistance,  had  stayed  their  hand, 
the  decline  on  the  Exchange  had  stopped,  prices 
were  recovering.  The  public,  feeling  more  confi- 
dence, had  ceased  to  harass  the  banks.  The  worst 
of  the  storm  was  over,  but  the  skies  were  not  yet 
clear  by  any  means.  As  long  as  those  notes  were 
in  the  vaults,  as  long  as  the  money  they  had  taken 
was  not  repaid,  there  was  danger.  Already  there 
had  been  disquieting  rumors.  Only  last  evening 
the  financial  column  of  an  evening  newspaper  had 
made  vague  allusions  to  a  well-known  promoter 
who  had  successfully  weathered  the  storm,  although 

122 


THE    GAMBLERS 

known  to  be  heavily  long  of  the  market.  "Wall 
Street  rumor,"  the  writer  went  on  to  say,  "had  it 
that  the  institution  of  which  the  promoter  was  the 
head  narrowly  escaped  finding  itself  in  a  serious 
predicament."  When  he  read  that  Wilbur  winced. 
His  enemies  were  watching  him,  that  was  very  evi- 
dent. No  doubt  some  of  them  had  guessed  how  he 
had  dammed  the  flood.  Probably  complaint  had 
already  been  made  to  the  authorities,  which  would 
explain  the  despatch  they  had  received  from  Wash- 
ington: "The  bank  examiner  will  visit  your  insti- 
tution next  week." 

The  shock  had  come  like  a  bolt  from  the  blue. 
A  hurried  call  brought  the  badly  frightened  di- 
rectors together  again  once  more  in  secret  session. 
Raymond,  livid  from  anxiety,  had  dropped  his  air 
of  insolent  bravado ;  Tooker  was  peevish  and  peni- 
tent, Cowper  morose.  Raymond  and  Cowper  were 
disposed  to  blame  Wilbur.  Wrath  fully  the  young 
man  turned  on  them  till  they  winced. 

"Don't  sit  snarling  here,"  he  shouted.  "Get  out 
and  hustle  for  money.  Those  notes  must  be  made 
good.  The  bank  examiner  will  be  here  next  week. 
No  power  on  earth  can  prevent  his  discovering  what 

123 


THE    GAMBLERS 


we've  done.  If  he  finds  our  notes  and  then  discov- 
ers the  specie  gone,  he'll  make  a  report  to  Washing- 
ton, and  a  thorough  investigation  will  be  ordered. 
The  notes  will  be  discovered.  No  power  on  earth 
can  save  us  from  indictment!" 

"What  can  we  do?  What  can  we  do?"  came 
from  the  directors  in  frightened  chorus. 

"Get  out  and  hustle  for  money.  Go  to  your 
friends.  Rush  all  over  town.  Borrow  it  or  steal 
it,  any  way  you  like.  But  get  the  money  somehow, 
and  help  take  up  those  notes.  I'll  do  the  same. 
You,  also,  Cowper.  What  about  those  rich  relatives 
of  yours  in  Philadelphia?  Jump  on  the  train  and 
see  what  you  can  raise  to  save  us!  Report  back 

here  to  me." 

******** 

The  time  dragged  along,  and  still  Wilbur  sat  at 
his  desk  waiting  for  Cowper.  He  had  been  four 
days  away.  He  ought  to  have  done  something  by 
this  time.  Suddenly  he  thought  he  heard  a  foot- 
step, and  he  started  from  the  chair  and  listened 
intently.  No,  he  was  mistaken.  It  was  not  Cow- 
per ;  only  the  watchman  closing  up  the  bank.  Where 
could  he  be  all  this  time?  Sitting  down  before  his 

124 


THE    GAMBLERS 


desk  once  more  he  became  absorbed  again  in  the 
maze  of  figures  on  the  sheet  of  paper  before  him, 
desperately  trying  to  find  some  way  out,  some  loop- 
hole of  escape  from  the  impending  ruin.  Money — 
money  must  be  obtained  at  once.  The  incriminat- 
ing notes  must  be  taken  up  without  delay.  If  only 
he  had  more  time.  Tooker  and  Raymond  had  no 
resources;  all  their  money  was  invested;  but  Cow- 
per  had  rich  friends.  If  only  he  would  come. 

A  cab  stopped  at  the  curb  outside.  A  moment 
later  a  door  slammed  downstairs.  He  heard  the 
watchman  greet  the  newcomer.  He  started  from 
his  seat.  This  time  he  was  not  mistaken.  It  was 
Cowper. 

The  next  instant  the  young  director  entered  the 
room.  He  was  breathing  hard,  his  face  white 
and  haggard.  Advancing  eagerly,  Wilbur  ex- 
claimed : 

"Well,  Cowper?" 

The  young  man  dropped  exhausted  into  a  seat 
and  shook  his  head  despondently. 

"Nothing!" 

Wilbur  stopped  short.  His  fingers  opened  and 
dosed  spasmodically. 

125 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Nothing?"  he  echoed  hoarsely. 

"No;  I  saw  Mr.  Weinstrom.  He's  several  times 
a  millionaire.  He  wouldn't  lend  us  a  cent.  I  saw 
Mr.  Saxe  with  the  same  result.  Mr.  Lucas  was  in 
Europe.  Mr.  Johnson  refused  flatly.  They  all 
talked  pretty  frankly " 

"What— what  did  they  say?" 

"They  said  they  didn't  like  your  methods;  that 
sooner  or  later  you'd  come  a  cropper." 

Wilbur's  face  twitched  painfully.  The  lines 
about  his  eyes  and  mouth  deepened.  He  grew  ashy 
pale. 

"Then  it's  all  up,  Cowper." 

His  fellow  director  looked  up,  alarmed. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  the  newcomer. 

"I  mean  that  you  and  I — all  of  us — will  have  to 
go  to  jail  for  this !" 

"To  jail !"  cried  Cowper,  turning  pale. 

Wilbur  nodded  gravely.     Firmly  he  said: 

"Yes,  to  jail.  We  have  broken  the  law.  We  are 
common  malefactors.  We  may  each  get  ten  years. 
Nothing  can  save  us  from  the  penitentiary — the 
authorities  already  suspect  us.  An  investigation 
may  begin  to-morrow.  An  indictment  by  the  grand 

126 


THE    GAMBLERS 


jury  will  speedily  follow.  That  fellow  Darwin 
would  jump  at  the  chance  to  prosecute  us;  he's 
always  had  a  personal  grudge  against  me,  and 
under  the  pretence  of  doing  a  public  service  he  will 
leave  no  stone  unturned  to  put  us  behind  the 
bars." 

Cowper  listened  in  consternation.  His  face  had 
grown  ashen  white. 

"Can't  you  do  something?"  he  cried. 

"I've  done  everything  possible,"  replied  Wilbur 
calmly.  "I  have  left  nothing  undone.  There  is 
still  a  chance  that  I  may  be  able  to  save  the  situa- 
tion. I  am  now  negotiating  for  a  loan.  If  I  suc- 
ceed we  are  saved;  if  I  fail  we're  lost." 

Cowper  looked  at  him  in  dismay. 

"Prison!"  he  wailed,  terror-stricken.  "I  never 
dreamed  of  anything  like  that."  Advancing  to- 
wards Wilbur,  his  hands  outstretched,  he  exclaimed 
pleadingly:  "Oh,  Emerson,  I  couldn't  stand  that, 
I  could  not.  It  would  wreck  my  life  utterly.  You 
know  I'm  engaged  to  Gladys  Norman.  Our  wed- 
ding is  fixed  for  next  month.  This  will  stop  every- 
thing. Her  family  would  not  let  her  marry  a 
felon." 

127 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur  looked  at  him  in  silence.  With  a  shade 
of  irony  in  his  voice  he  said  quietly : 

"It's  no  worse  for  you,  Cowper,  than  for  the  rest 
of  us." 

"Perhaps  not.  But  I  could  not  bear  it — I  could 
not." 

Wilbur  looked  at  his  watch. 

"There  is  still  twenty-four  hours  before  the  ex- 
aminer's visit."  Taking  his  hat  he  said  impatiently  : 
"In  that  time  we  may  be  able  to  do  something. 
Don't  stand  moaning  there.  Get  out  and  do  some- 
thing. Go  and  see  Harris  &  Harris,  ask  Richard- 
son &  Co.,  appeal  to  Woodford  &  Son.  We've 
done  them  favors  in  the  past.  See  what  you  can 
do.  I'll  do  the  same.  I'll  turn  the  city  inside  out 
to  raise  that  money." 

"And  if  you  don't  succeed?"  demanded  Cowper 
fearfully. 

"We  all  go  to  jail !"  was  the  laconic  rejoinder. 


128 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE  Darwins'  home  at  No.  Riverside 
Drive,  if  not  the  largest  and  most  expen- 
sive of  the  many  stately  residences  that 
face  the  swiftly  flowing  Hudson,  was  certainly  one 
of  the  most  attractive  and  artistic.  The  house  was 
an  American  basement,  with  a  fagade  of  white  mar- 
ble in  purest  Greek  style  of  architecture.  Hand- 
some highly  polished  gates  gave  access  to  a  spa- 
cious reception  hall,  at  the  end  of  which  were  broad 
stairs  leading  to  the  living  rooms  above.  The  hall, 
thickly  carpeted  and  hung  with  rich  tapestries,  tro- 
phies and  rare  engravings,  bespoke  the  culture 
and  taste  of  the  owner.  On  the  second  floor  in 
front  was  the  drawing  room,  treated  in  white  and 
gold;  at  the  rear  the  dining  room,  with  beamed 
ceiling  and  wainscoted  walls.  Upstairs,  on  the 
third  floor,  and  occupying  the  entire  width  of  the 
building,  was  the  library,  a  splendid  room  of  noble 
proportions,  with  an  immense  bay  window  overlook- 
ing the  river. 

129 


THE    GAMBLERS 


This  room,  luxuriously  and  warmly  upholstered 
in  a  rich,  red  plush  and  lined  from  floor  to  ceiling 
with  black  walnut  shelves  rilled  with  books,  was 
Kathryn's  paradise.  Dominating  the  mantel  was 
a  fine,  life-size  bust  of  Lincoln,  the  Emancipator; 
in  a  corner  stood  a  stand  displaying  a  fine  suit  of 
medieval  armor.  Here  among  the  world's  classics 
Kathryn  could  browse  to  her  heart's  content  and 
satisfy  the  intellectual  side  of  her  nature.  It  was 
all  that  was  left  in  her  life,  for  she  did  not  love  her 
husband.  She  had  found  that  out  long  ago,  and  it 
was  a  great  secret  grief  which  she  carried  in  her 
heart.  It  was  too  late  now  for  regrets.  She  must 
live  the  life  she  had  made  for  herself.  She  tried 
to  do  her  duty  by  her  husband,  seeing  after  his  crea- 
ture comforts  and  managing  his  household,  but  oth- 
erwise, they  saw  little  of  each  other. 

A  very  busy  man,  with  all  kinds  of  political  irons 
in  the  fire,  Darwin  was  not  able  to  spend  much 
time  at  home.  His  official  duties  kept  him  down- 
town all  day,  and  almost  every  night  he  was  sum- 
moned to  attend  a  big  dinner  or  address  some 
meeting.  Kathryn  had  her  own  suite  of  rooms,  her 
own  friends,  her  amusements.  She  spent  her  time 

130 


THE    GAMBLERS 


paying  calls,  shopping,  riding  in  the  park,  play- 
ing bridge,  reading  or  writing.  Thus  the  days 
passed  pleasantly  enough,  so  agreeably  that  it  never 
occurred  to  her  that  James  was  really  her  husband 
in  name  only.  On  the  other  hand,  when  occasion- 
ally they  passed  an  evening  together  in  the  library, 
she  found  him  a  charming  companion.  She  ad- 
mired his  broad,  intellectual  outlook,  his  wide,  sane 
reading.  His  vigorous  mentality  and  interesting 
conversation  acted  as  a  powerful  stimulant  to  her 
own  literary  aspirations.  She  rejoiced  in  his  suc- 
cess, and  it  pleased  her  vanity  to  be  pointed  at  in 
public  as  the  beautiful  young  wife  of  the  famous 
district  attorney.  But  that  was  not  love,  and  there 
were  times  when  her  heart  craved  for  that  which 
she  realized  was  lacking  in  her  life. 

When  at  home  it  was  the  lawyer's  custom  to 
work  in  his  library.  There  was  a  great  flat  desk 
strewn  with  papers  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and 
frequently,  night  after  night,  he  would  sit  there 
until  the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  poring  over 
affidavits  and  other  legal  papers  connected  with  the 
cases  that  he  was  then  trying  before  the  courts.  For 
the  past  two  weeks  he  had  been  kept  especially  busy 


THE    GAMBLERS 


with  a  case  that  absorbed  all  his  energies  and  made 
a  call  on  every  instant  of  his  time.  It  was  a  case 
with  sensational  features  and  one  which,  if  success- 
fully handled,  would  not  only  draw  to  him  the  at- 
tention of  the  Federal  authorities,  but  give  him  the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  wide-awake  and 
energetic  district  attorneys  New  York  had  ever 
had.  But  that  was  not  all.  In  addition  to  the  hope 
of  personal  glorification  and  advancement,  there 
was  still  another  and  stronger  incentive — revenge! 

James  Darwin  knew  his  wife  did  not  love  him. 
His  instinct  told  him  that.  Apparently  they  got 
along  together.  The  outside  world  thought  they 
were  a  happy,  ideal  couple.  But  the  lawyer  had 
never  deceived  himself.  His  wife  did  not  love  him. 
He  possessed  her  body ;  she  was  his  by  law ;  but  he 
did  not  possess  her  soul.  That  eluded  him,  and  the 
conviction  of  it  embittered  him.  He  said  nothing, 
preferring  to  suffer  in  silence,  and  gradually  their 
relations  became  those  of  friends  who  for  reasons 
of  policy  wish  to  remain  on  good  terms  and  studi- 
ously avoid  doing  anything  that  is  likely  to  cause 
words  or  friction. 

But  calm  and  courteous  without,  the  attorney 
132 


THE    GAMBLERS 


raged  within.  He  had  thought  to  find  heaven  in 
this  marriage ;  he  had  found  only  hell.  Distracted, 
almost  frenzied  with  jealousy,  he  began  to  study 
Kathryn,  trying  to  read  her  mind.  Was  Wilbur 
Emerson  his  rival  in  her  affections?  He  recalled 
that  night  of  the  dance,  when  he  had  unexpectedly 
interrupted  their  tete-a-tete  in  the  conservatory. 
Was  it  possible  that  she  still  thought  of  the  fellow, 
that  she  loved  him?  Like  a  flash  other  thoughts, 
giving  corroboration  to  this  idea,  came  crowding 
into  his  brain.  Kathryn,  he  was  well  aware,  was 
still  very  intimate  with  Wilbur  Emerson's  sister. 
His  wife  visited  the  Emerson  home  frequently.  It 
was  only  natural  that  she  should  meet  the  brother. 
Perhaps  it  was  the  brother  that  attracted  her !  The 
very  thought  drove  him  into  a  frenzy.  Perhaps 
they  met  elsewhere!  Perhaps  they  were  good 

friends;  perhaps  they  were 

As  he  sat  and  pondered  it  all  came  back  to  him. 
Kathryn  had  shown  great  interest  in  Wilbur  Em- 
erson's success.  His  father  had  left  him  to  man- 
age the  Emerson  Bank,  and  he  had  started  in  to  do 
big  things.  He  recalled  that  he  had  scoffed  at  the 
news.  He  had  heard  of  these  get-rich-quick  fel- 

133 


THE    GAMBLERS 


lows  before.  They  went  up  like  a  rocket,  but  came 
down  with  the  stick.  Mr.  Emerson,  Jr.,  he  laughed 
derisively,  would  bear  watching. 

And  he  had  watched  these  two  years — watched 
as  a  cat  watches  a  mouse,  a  tiger  its  prey.  If  any- 
thing went  wrong,  was  not  he,  James  Darwin,  dis- 
trict attorney,  there  to  set  it  right  and  punish  the 
offenders  in  the  name  of  the  people?  And  how 
doubly  gratifying  for  a  public  officer  to  feel  not 
only  that  he  is  doing  his  duty  to  the  community, 
but  at  the  same  time  settling  an  old  score  with  the 
man  who  had  stolen  away  his  domestic  happiness 
and  ruined  his  life!  This,  with  James  Darwin,  be- 
came the  one  obsession,  the  one  fixed  thought.  His 
instinct  told  him  there  was  something  wrong  in 
the  wildcat  financial  schemes  of  the  new  bank  man- 
agement, that  it  was  only  a  question  of  time  when 
Wilbur  Emerson  would  be  caught  in  a  trap  of  his 
own  making. 

He  did  not  have  long  to  wait.  The  operations  of 
the  Emerson  Bank  grew  more  and  more  extensive. 
Millions  of  dollars  were  involved  in  financial  un- 
dertakings of  huge  magnitude.  The  ramifications 
of  the  concern  gradually  became  so  extensive  that, 

134 


THE    GAMBLERS 


were  anything  to  affect  the  credit  of  the  parent  bank, 
a  commercial  panic  might  ensue.  Rumors  flew  thick 
and  fast  and  the  scandal  grew  until  at  last  the  Fed- 
eral authorities  took  the  initiative.  Word  reached 
Washington  through  indirect  channels  that  the  di- 
rectors of  the  Emerson  Bank  were  borrowing  in  ex- 
cess of  their  capital — a  punishable  offence.  A  straw 
will  show  which  way  the  wind  is  blowing.  Scenting 
trouble,  the  authorities  quietly  ordered  an  investiga- 
tion. If,  as  was  feared,  irregularities  were  discov- 
ered, the  banking  department  would  immediately 
take  charge  of  the  institution.  The  district  attorney 
would  go  before  the  grand  jnry  with  evidence  in- 
criminating the  directors,  and  their  arrests  would 
follow. 

This  is  what  had  kept  Mr.  Darwin  busy,  and  he 
had  left  no  stone  unturned  to  ensure  success.  His 
detectives — men  of  the  Secret  Service — watched 
the  Emerson  Bank,  and  also  the  Emerson  residence, 
night  and  day.  Wilbur  Emerson  and  his  associates 
were  kept  constantly  shadowed;  they  did  not  make 
a  move  without  their  actions  being  instantly  re- 
ported to  Mr.  Darwin.  Meantime,  being  well  aware 
of  his  wife's  close  association  with  the  Emersons 

135 


THE    GAMBLERS 


and  afraid  that  she  might  be  tempted  to  give  them 
warning  of  the  impending  proceedings,  he  was  care- 
ful to  say  nothing  about  his  plans  to  Kathryn. 

Although  well  aware  that  her  husband  would 
never  become  reconciled  to  her  keeping  up  her  inti- 
macy with  the  Emersons,  Kathryn  had  always  in- 
sisted on  maintaining  her  independence  in  this  re- 
spect. Not  that  she  deliberately  set  herself  to  dis- 
please him,  but  she  did  not  see  why  she  should  be 
forced  to  terminate  the  friendship  of  a  lifetime  sim- 
ply because  he  saw  fit  to  be  unreasonably,  insanely 
jealous.  There  was  one  function  in  the  Emerson 
home  particularly  that  she  never  missed,  and  that 
was  Isabel's  birthday.  The  first  year  after  their 
marriage  he  had  objected  strenuously  to  her  going, 
and  this  year  he  was  even  more  obstinate  in  his 
opposition. 

"Kate,  I  would  rather  you  did  not  go,"  he  said 
firmly. 

"But  why?"  she  persisted.  "Isabel  is  about  the 
only  woman  friend  I  have.  I've  been  going  to  their 
birthday  parties  for  years — long  before  I  married 
you.  Why  should  you  try  to  deprive  me  of  this 

little  pleasure?" 

136 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"There  is  a  reason.  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  tell 
you  what  that  reason  is.  It  should  be  enough  that 
I  express  the  wish  that  you  do  not  go." 

Knowing  of  no  other  possible  reason  than  a  ridic- 
ulous jealousy  of  Wilbur  Emerson,  she  lost  her 
temper  for  the  first  time.  Hotly  she  said : 

"Yes,  that's  it!  You  express  the  wish,  and  you 
think  I  must  obey  like  some  wretched,  beaten  slave. 
You  consult  only  your  own  selfishness.  You  are 
absurdly  jealous.  You  think  I  meet  Wilbur  Emer- 
son there  when  I  go.  Well,  if  it  will  comfort  you 
I'll  tell  you  this — I  never  see  him.  He's  never 
there.  Sometimes  I'm  sorry  he  isn't.  He  might 
help  me  to  forget  how  unhappy  I  am  at  home." 

His  lips  tightened  and  there  was  a  dangerous 
flash  in  his  eyes.  She  was  sorry  now  that  she  had 
said  so  much.  Of  course,  she  didn't  mean  a  word 
of  it.  Womanlike,  to  save  the  situation,  she  took 
refuge  in  tears. 

Darwin,  incensed  almost  beyond  control,  mas- 
tered himself  by  an  effort.  Calmly  he  said: 

"You  are  mistaken,  Kathryn.  Jealousy  does  not 
enter  into  the  matter  at  all.  I  have  too  much  respect 
for  the  woman  I  married  to  even  harbor  such  a 

137 


THE    GAMBLERS 


thought.  But  now,  since  you  insist  on  knowing  the 
true  reason  why  I  wish  your  visits  to  the  Emerson 
house  to  cease,  I  will  tell  you  the  real  state  of  affairs. 
Emerson's  chain  of  banks  is  being  investigated.  The 
Federal  expert  examiners  are  about  to  take  posses- 
sion, and  in  all  probability  the  hands  of  the  Govern- 
ment will  fall  heavily  on  them.  It  means  disgrace, 
most  likely  imprisonment.  In  my  position  as  special 
appointee  of  the  United  States  attorney  general,  I 
cannot  allow  my  wife  to  remain  on  terms  of  social 
intimacy  with — with  prospective — criminals." 

"James!"  she  protested. 

"Oh,  I  hardly  expected  you  to  sympathize  with 
my  attitude,"  he  said  bitterly.  "We  so  seldom  agree 
on  anything,  but  I  am  making  the  investigation, 
and  I  am  in  a  position  to  know  what  they  are. 
However,  that  is  not  the  point.  I  have  expressed 
a  wish  that  you  do  not  go.  That  ought  to  be  suf- 
ficient." 

The  blood  rushed  to  her  face.  For  an  instant 
she  was  seized  by  an  almost  irresistible  impulse  to 
rebel,  to  tell  him  she  hated  him,  that  she  had  done 
with  him  forever.  But  the  impulse  passed  and  she 
said  calmly: 

138 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Very  well,  James,  as  you  wish." 

A  few  days  later  Darwin  had  forgotten  the  inci- 
dent. He  was  at  work  in  his  library  going  over  the 
papers  connected  with  the  case.  Kathryn  had  gone 
out  horseback  riding  in  the  park  and  had  not  yet 
returned.  Matters  relating  to  the  suspected  bank 
were  reaching  an  acute  stage.  No  inkling  of  trou- 
ble had  reached  the  public.  The  financial  skies  were 
as  yet  serene,  but  it  was  only  the  calm  before  the 
storm.  Those  on  the  inside  of  affairs  in  Wall  Street 
were  well  aware  that  one  of  the  flimsiest  structures 
of  wildcat  finance  seen  in  years  was  about  to  topple. 

James  Darwin  exulted.  Ordinarily  he  was  not 
a  vindictive  man.  His  political  enemies  had  scoffed 
at  him  as  chicken-hearted  because,  in  court  one  day, 
out  of  pity,  he  had  let  a  crippled  prisoner  escape  pun- 
ishment. But  in  this  case  he  was  pitiless.  He  for- 
got friendship,  mercy,  everything  in  his  wild,  un- 
reasoning, jealous  rage.  Even  the  fact  that  the 
Emersons  were  his  wife's  closest  friends  did  not 
deter  him.  It  made  no  difference.  Even  if  she 
came  and  knelt  at  his  feet  and  implored  him  to  let 
Wilbur  Emerson  go,  he  would  refuse.  On  that 
point  he  was  determined,  implacable.  His  only 

139 


THE    GAMBLERS 


anxiety  now  was  concerning  his  ability  to  prove 
Wilbur  guilty.  He  might  have  broken  the  law, 
committed  a  felony.  But  how  could  it  be  proved? 
Would  he  be  able  to  find  sufficient  proofs  to  show 
that  he  had  committed  a  crime? 

He  was  deeply  absorbed  in  these  reflections  when 
he  heard  the  front  door  bell  ring  downstairs.  An 
interval  followed,  and  Jane,  the  maid,  appeared. 

"A  gentleman  called  to  see  you,  sir." 

Mr.  Darwin  turned  angrily. 

"Didn't  I  tell  you,  Jane,  that  I  was  busy,  and 
not  to  be  disturbed?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  maid,  apologetically,  "that's 
what  I  told  the  gentleman,  but  he  insisted.  He  said 
it  was  of  the  greatest  importance,  that  he  must  see 
you  at  once." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"Here's  his  card,  sir." 

The  girl  handed  her  master  a  bit  of  pasteboard. 
Mr.  Darwin  glanced  at  it.  Not  recognizing  the 
name  and  puzzled,  he  said  to  himself : 

"Mr.  George  Cowper.  Cowper — Cowper?  Who's 
he?" 

"I  don't  know,  sir.     I  asked  him  if  you  knew 
140 


THE    GAMBLERS 


him.  He  said  that  you  did  not  know  him  person- 
ally, but  that  if  you  wanted  to  know,  I  was  to  tell 
you  he  was  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Emerson 
Bank." 

Darwin  jumped  up  from  his  chair.  Now  he 
knew.  Of  course — George  Cowper !  He  was  one  of 
the  men  mentioned  in  the  indictment.  Why  had 
•he  called?  There  could  be  only  one  reason.  He 
had  come  in  the  hope  of  securing  immunity  at  the 
expense  of  his  fellow  directors.  This  was  the  op- 
portunity he  had  looked  for.  Through  this  traitor 
he  could  secure  the  proofs  he  had  been  seeking. 
Concealing  his  exultation  as  well  as  he  was  able, 
he  turned  to  the  maid. 

"Show  the  gentleman  up." 

A  moment  later  Cowper  entered  the  room.  He 
was  ashen  pale  and  his  manner  agitated.  Awk- 
wardly he  said: 

"I  must  apologize  for  this  intrusion,  Mr.  Darwin. 
I  don't  know  if  you  remember  me.  I  met  you 
some  years  ago." 

"Yes,  of  course;  glad  to  see  you,"  said  the  law- 
yer, cordially  pointing  to  a  chair.  "Sit  down,  Mr. 

Cowper." 

141 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Cowper  dropped  into  a  chair.  For  a  moment 
there  was  silence.  Neither  spoke.  Darwin  had 
cleverly  arranged  the  seats  in  such  a  manner  that 
the  light  from  the  desk  lamp  fell  full  on  his  visitor's 
face,  while  his  own  remained  in  the  shadow.  With- 
out saying  a  word,  he  fixed  the  bank  director  with 
an  almost  hypnotic  stare.  Quickly  he  took  mental 
measure  of  the  man.  He's  a  coward,  he  thought 
to  himself.  He's  afraid.  He  knows  a  crime  has 
been  committed,  and  he  hopes  to  escape  punishment 
by  rendering  some  service  to  the  State  which  will 
buy  his  pardon.  Yet,  ready  as  he  was  to  accept  the 
traitor's  services,  Darwin  could  not  help  feeling 
contempt  for  the  trembling  wretch  who,  with  his 
eyes  glued  to  the  floor,  was  ashamed  to  look  him 
in  the  face. 

"You  know  who  I  am?"  stammered  the  visitor. 

Darwin  nodded.     Quickly  he  answered: 

"Yes,  you  are  Mr.  George  Cowper,  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Emerson  Bank,  and  you  come  here 
on  pressing  business  connected  with  what  has  been 
going  on  at  the  bank." 

Cowper  started. 

"How  did  you  know?"  he  demanded  in  surprise. 
142 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Darwin  laughed. 

"We  lawyers  make  a  habit  of  making  a  quick 
diagnosis.  Besides,  one  doesn't  have  to  be  a  Sher- 
lock Holmes  to  guess  that.  Your  look,  your  man- 
ner is  enough.  You  have  come  here  to  find  out 
what  measures  the  authorities  are  about  to  take 
against  the  directors." 

Cowper  started;  his  face  grew  livid.  Trem- 
blingly he  asked : 

"The  authorities  are  going  to  act  ?" 

"Immediately,"  replied  Darwin  firmly.  "We 
know  everything.  Detectives  have  been  watching 
your  every  move  for  weeks.  The  affairs  of  the 
bank  are  well  known.  We  know  that  you  men  have 
depleted  the  bank,  robbed  the  depositors.  For  that 
crime  you  will  go  to  the  penitentiary !" 

Cowper  started  from  his  seat  as  if  he  had  been 
shot.  Agitatedly  he  cried: 

"My  God !    You  wouldn't  do  that !"  he  cried. 

Shrugging  his  shoulders,  Darwin  replied  coldly: 

"It  doesn't  rest  with  me,  but  with  the  Court. 
You  have  violated  the  Federal  banking  law.  You 
will  be  indicted  as  sure  as  there's  a  God  in  heaven, 
and  I'll  help  to  convict  you!" 

143 


THB    GAMBLERS 


The  wretched  man  cowered  before  him. 

"Have  mercy !  Think  of  our  position — our  fam- 
ilies!" 

Darwin  turned  fiercely  on  him. 

"Mercy!  Why  should  I  consider  you?  Have 
you  and  your  associates  considered  the  unfortunate 
people  who  foolishly  entrusted  their  money  to  your 
care?  They  may  lose  all  they  possess — all  they 
owned  in  the  world.  You'll  lose  only  your  liberty, 
which  you  could  not  value  much,  seeing  you  jeopar- 
dized it  so  readily." 

"I  do  prize  it,  Mr.  Darwin;  I  do,  indeed!"  cried 
the  unhappy  man.  "I  could  not  face  this  disgrace. 
I  am  soon  to  be  married.  It  would  be  the  end  of 
everything.  If  she  gives  me  up  I  shall  shoot  my- 
self. We  did  wrong.  I  see  it  now.  I  did  not  real- 
ize it  before.  Emerson  asked  me  to  sign  one  of 
the  notes  as  dummy  collateral  for  the  loan, 
and " 

Quickly  Darwin  picked  him  up.  At  last  he  was 
on  the  track.  He  had  tangible  proofs  at  last 

"Ah,  yes,  the  notes !"  he  exclaimed.  "How  many 
notes  were  there  ?" 

"Five  notes  of  $400,000  each." 
144 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  lawyer  repeated  after  him. 

"Five  notes  of  $400,000  each?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Who  signed  these  notes?" 

"Wilbur  Emerson,  Mr.  Emerson,  Sr.,  Mr. 
Tooker,  Mr.  Raymond  and  myself." 

Bending  nearer  and  staring  closely  at  his  almost 
crazed  visitor,  Darwin  questioned  him,  trying  by 
hypnotic  suggestion  to  entrap  him  with  damaging 
admissions. 

"These  notes  were  put  in  the  vaults  to  take  the 
place  of  the  money  taken  by  you,  amounting 
to ?" 

"Two  million  dollars,  yes,  sir." 

"For  the  purpose  of  putting  through  the 
merger  ?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

Darwin  relapsed  into  silence.  Only  by  a  nervous 
tapping  of  his  finger  nails  on  the  polished  surface 
of  the  desk  did  he  betray  his  inward  exultation. 
Looking  up,  he  said  carelessly: 

"Where  are  those  notes  now?" 

"In  the  vault,  sir." 

"How  do  you  know?" 

145 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  saw  them  this  afternoon." 

"How  did  you  come  to  see  them?  Were  you  in 
the  vaults?" 

"Yes,  sir.  Wilbur  Emerson  knows  the  bank  is 
about  to  be  investigated.  He's  badly  frightened. 
He  is  straining  every  nerve  to  find  money  to  take 
up  the  notes.  We  have  failed  to  raise  a  dollar. 
To-day  he  and  I  were  in  the  vaults  looking  over 
the  securities.  I  saw  the  notes.  They  are  in  a 
blue  envelope." 

Darwin  looked  fixedly  at  him.  In  a  milder,  per- 
suasive tone  he  said  suggestively: 

"Mr.  Cowper,  I  feel  sorry  for  you.  I  do  indeed. 
I'm  inclined  to  think  you  are  not  so  much  to  blame 
as  the  others.  If  I  asked  you  to  do  me  a  favor,  in 
return  for  which  I  promise  to  drop  all  proceedings 
against  you  personally,  would  you  do  it?" 

Cowper  jumped  eagerly  from  his  chair. 

"My  God,  sir,  I  would,  indeed!    What  is  it?" 

Darwin  came  right  to  the  point. 

"Mr.  Cowper,  I  want  those  notes.  I  want  to 
have  them  in  my  possession  by  to-morrow  night. 
The  bank  is  closed  now ;  the  vaults  are  locked.  But 
you  can  get  them  first  thing  in  the  morning.  Make 

146 


THE    GAMBLERS 


duplicates  of  them,  and  put  the  duplicates  back  in 
the  blue  envelope.  Bring  the  originals  to  me.  Do 
you  understand?" 

Cowper  rose,  white  and  trembling.  He  averted 
his  face,  as  if  ashamed  to  meet  the  lawyer's  eyes. 
Tremblingly  he  said: 

"I  don't  know  what  you  think  of  me,  Mr.  Dar- 
win. I'm  a  cur,  I  know  it.  But  I  can't  help  it.  I 
can't  fight  any  longer.  I  can't  go  to  prison.  I 
love  this  girl  I'm  going  to  marry.  I  can't  lose  her. 
You  understand " 

Darwin  opened  the  door. 

"Yes,  I  understand.  Good-bye,  Mr.  Cowper.  I 
shall  expect  you  here  at  8  o'clock  to-morrow  night 
with  the  notes." 


147 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  gigantic  figures  of  the  colossal  clock  in 
the  Metropolitan  Tower  were  just  on  the 
stroke  of  nine  when  a  red  taxicab  with  a 
solitary  passenger  sped  across  Madison  Square 
through  the  pouring  rain  and  dashed  furiously  along 
the  Great  White  Way  in  the  direction  of  uptown. 
Recklessly  driven  vehicles  are  not  rare  enough  in 
Manhattan  to  excite  comment,  but  there  was  some- 
thing so  extraordinary  in  the  speed  of  this  particu- 
lar cab  that  every  one  turned  to  look  after  it.  It  was 
a  bad  night,  wet  and  stormy,  and  Broadway  was 
comparatively  free  from  traffic.  But  for  this  fact, 
such  a  break-neck  pace  would  have  been  impossible. 
So  fast  was  the  gait  that  sharp  corners  were  turned 
practically  on  two  wheels,  collisions  were  avoided  by 
only  hair-breadth  margins,  pedestrians  were  splashed 
with  mud  thrown  by  the  furiously  revolving  wheels. 
Either  the  driver  or  his  fare  was  in  a  terrible  hurry, 
or  it  was  a  matter  of  life  or  death.  No  matter,  the 
driver  pushed  his  machine  to  the  limit,  now  grazing 

148 


THE    GAMBLERS 


a  fruit  huckster's  cart,  now  just  missing  a  street 
car,  now  perilously  near  knocking  down  a  dear  old 
lady.  Traffic  policemen  whistled  and  held  up  their 
hands  in  warning ;  at  Forty-second  Street  the  driver 
was  forced  to  a  halt  and  threatened  with  arrest  for 
speeding.  But,  once  out  of  the  policeman's  sight, 
he  pulled  her  wide  open  once  more  and  soon  was 
traveling  as  rapidly  as  ever.  He  dashed  furiously 
through  Long  Acre  Square,  sped  like  the  wind 
across  Columbus  Circle,  and  at  Seventy-second 
Street  turned  sharply  to  the  left.  Churning  due 
west,  he  again  veered  to  the  right,  when  he  came 
to  Riverside  Drive,  and  following  the  avenue  until 

he  came  to  No. ,  stopped  his  smoking,  panting 

machine  at  the  curb. 

The  door  of  the  cab  opened  and  James  Darwin 
stepped  out.  He  smiled  as  he  passed  a  bill  to  the 
driver. 

"That  was  worth  double  fare,  Jack.  You  needn't 
come  for  me  in  the  morning.  I'm  off  for  Washing- 
ton to-night." 

The  man  touched  his  cap. 

"Very  good,  sir." 

The  district  attorney  was  in  particularly  good 
149 


THE    GAMBLERS 


humor  that  evening.  Things  certainly  continued 
to  go  his  way.  Mr.  Cowper  had  assured  him  by 
telephone  that  he  had  succeeded  in  securing  the 
incriminating  notes  and  would  bring  them  to  the 
house  that  evening.  Directly  they  were  in  his  pos- 
session, he  would  go  before  the  grand  jury.  The 
net  was  gradually  being  drawn  closer.  Wilbur  Em- 
erson and  his  get-rich-quick  associates  would  soon 
be  put  under  arrest. 

Entering  the  hall,  he  threw  his  coat  to  the  maid. 
Carelessly  he  asked : 

"Is  Mrs.  Darwin  upstairs?" 

The  girl  looked  at  her  master  in  surprise. 

"Mrs.  Darwin  went  out,  sir." 

The  lawyer  turned  quickly. 

"Went  out?     Where  to?" 

"Didn't  you  know,  sir?  It's  Miss  Isabel  Emer- 
son's birthday.  They  have  a  party  to-night.  The 
missis  left  here  half  an  hour  ago.  She  left  a  note 
for  you  upstairs,  sir." 

The  lawyer  started  with  surprise.  Kathryn  had 
promised  she  would  not  go  to  the  party.  An  angry 
exclamation  sprang  to  his  lips,  but  he  suppressed  it. 
He  did  not  care  to  have  the  servants  think  that 

150 


THE    GAMBLERS 


he  and  his  wife  could  not  get  along.  Hurrying  to 
the  library  he  found  lying  on  his  desk  a  note  has- 
tily scribbled  in  pencil.  It  ran  as  follows: 

DEAR  JIM  : 

I  simply  couldn't  help  it.  Isabel  has  just  telephoned 
that  I  must  go.  I  couldn't  refuse.  I  know  you're  too 
busy  to  come.  But  couldn't  you  come  late,  to  bring  me 
home  ?  Love,  KATE. 

Wrath  fully,  Darwin  crushed  the  note  up  in  his 
hand.  Savagely  he  muttered : 

"Come  late !  Yes,  no  doubt  she  preferred  that,  so 
she  could  dance  and  flirt  to  her  heart's  content  with 
that  banker  crook — the  man  who  in  a  few  hours 
would  be  behind  prison  bars." 

He  was  amazed  that  she  had  dared  disobey  him. 
Knowing  the  peculiar  conditions,  she  ought  to  have 
seen  the  indelicacy  of  accepting  the  invitation.  How 
would  it  look  before  the  world  to  see  the  wife  of  a 
district  attorney  on  social  terms  with  a  thief — a 
man  whom  he  was  about  to  prosecute  and  send  to 
jail  ?  It  was  intolerable.  He  had  told  her  distinctly 
not  to  go,  and  she  had  willfully  disobeyed  him. 
There  was  only  one  thing  to  do.  He  must  go  at 
once  to  the  Emerson  home  and  make  her  leave.  He 
did  not  like  taking  such  an  extreme  step,  but  he 


THE    GAMBLERS 


considered  it  an  imperative  duty.  The  home  of  his 
foes  was  certainly  no  place  for  his  wife. 

Ten  minutes  later  he  was  seated  in  another  taxi- 
cab,  hurrying  again  through  the  drenching  rain  in 
the  direction  of  Fifth  Avenue.  He  had  not  even 
stopped  to  dress.  As  he  had  no  intention  of  remain- 
ing at  the  house  a  moment  longer  than  was  neces- 
sary to  see  his  wife  and  insist  on  her  leaving,  there 
was  no  necessity  to  change  his  attire.  The  chauf- 
feur having  instructions  to  put  on  full  speed,  the 
machine  took  a  short  cut  through  Central  Park,  and 
it  was  not  long  before  the  destination  was  reached. 

Once  more  the  Emerson  home  was  ablaze  with 
lights  and  an  awning,  stretched  from  the  front  door 
to  the  curb,  afforded  shelter  from  the  weather  to 
the  arriving  guests.  The  long  string  of  waiting 
carriages  threatened  a  tedious  delay,  so  Darwin,  un- 
able to  curb  his  impatience,  stopped  his  cab  at  the 
far  corner  and  walked  the  rest  of  the  distance. 

Incensed  at  his  wife's  inexcusable  thoughtless- 
ness, the  lawyer  was  under  a  high  nervous  tension. 
Running  quickly  up  the  steps,  he  entered  the  house, 
passing  unobserved  in  the  crush  of  people  at  the 
door,  and  made  his  way  at  once  to  the  fumow,  a 

152 


THE    GAMBLERS 


fine,  spacious  room  on  the  second  floor,  richly 
decorated  in  red  leather,  with  hunting  scenes  in- 
serted in  the  paneled  wainscoting.  At  the  far 
end  was  a  large  buffet  filled  with  decanters  and 
glasses  and  cigars.  People  were  passing  in  and 
out.  Through  a  door  leading  to  the  ball  room  came 
the  strains  of  dance  music.  In  the  distance  was 
heard  loud  chatter  and  laughter. 

Several  men,  none  of  whom  the  district  attorney 
knew,  were  in  the  smoking  room,  standing  chat- 
ting in  groups.  Men  servants  were  walking  in  and 
out  with  trays  and  glasses.  Everybody  looked  up 
and  stared  in  surprise  as  Darwin  came  in,  conspic- 
uous in  his  plain  business  suit  among  the  crowd  in 
full  dress.  His  manner  was  cold  and  defiant,  and 
he  held  his  hat  and  cane  in  hand,  as  if  determined 
to  make  it  plain  to  everyone  that  he  would  not  stay 
a  moment  longer  than  was  necessary.  Thomas,  the 
butler,  came  forward. 

"Kindly  tell  Mrs.  Darwin  that  I  am  here,"  com- 
manded the  district  attorney  haughtily. 

"Yes,  sir.  Mrs.  Darwin  arrived  only  a  few  mo- 
ments ago.  She's  in  the  ball  room." 

"Give  her  my  message  at  once." 
153 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  butler  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  when 
two  men  servants  entered  with  a  card  table.  Thomas 
stopped  for  a  moment  to  give  his  subordinates  in- 
structions. 

"Yes,  that's  right.  Put  the  table  there.  The  gen- 
tlemen are  going  to  play  cards." 

Darwin,  almost  beside  himself  with  impatience 
and  scarcely  able  to  contain  his  growing  irritation, 
interrupted  testily : 

"Will  you  kindly  deliver  my  message?" 

"Yes,  sir,  right  away,"  replied  the  butler  apolo- 
getically. 

With  another  glance  at  the  card  table  to  see  if 
everything  was  all  right,  he  hurried  away.  As  he 
passed  out  Mr.  Tooker,  resplendent  in  claw  ham- 
mer coat  and  a  showy  diamond  solitaire  in  his  wide 
expanse  of  shirt  bosom,  strolled  leisurely  in  and 
joined  the  two  men  loitering  at  the  buffet. 

"Hello,  boys,  what  have  you  got  to  drink  ?  Hem 
— I  guess  I'll  take  a  little  brandy.  Make  it  a  pony." 

"Playing  the  ponies,  eh,  what?"  ventured  one  of 
the  wits  in  the  group,  a  dandy  with  a  gardenia  in 
his  lapel. 

"How's   the   market,    Mr.    Tooker?"   demanded 

154 


THE    GAMBLERS 


another,  a  young  foppish  man  who  was  anxious  to 
have  people  think  he  dabbled  in  the  Street. 

"Rotten!"  growled  Tooker,  as  he  emptied  his 
glass  at  a  gulp. 

"Nice  party  this,  eh,  what?"  said  the  first  speaker. 

"Say,  that  Mrs.  Darwin's  a  peach!"  remarked 
another. 

Some  of  the  men  had  glanced  several  times  in 
the  direction  of  the  district  attorney,  who  was  im- 
patiently pacing  the  floor.  No  one  knew  who  he 
was,  and  there  was  considerable  curiosity  as  to 
what  he  could  be  doing  there  in  a  business  suit. 
They  whispered  among  themselves  and  laughed. 
Feeling  that  he  was  the  object  of  their  mirth,  Dar- 
win turned  and  glared  at  them. 

"Who's  your  friend  ?"  demanded  Tooker  with  a 
chuckle,  nudging  his  neighbor  and  jerking  his  thumb 
in  Darwin's  direction. 

Just  at  that  moment  the  butler  returned.  Going 
up  to  the  district  attorney,  he  said: 

"Mrs.  Darwin  will  be  here  in  just  a  moment, 
sir " 

"Is  she  getting  her  things  on?"  demanded  Dar- 
win. 

155 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  think  not,  sir;  she  said  she'd  come  down  at 
the  end  of  this  dance." 

"With  whom  is  she  dancing?" 

"I  don't  know  sir." 

"Mr.  Wilbur  Emerson?"  suggested  the  lawyer. 

"I  don't  know,  sir." 

The  butler  turned  away  to  get  the  card  table 
ready,  and  while  he  was  engaged  laying  out  the 
cards  and  arranging  the  chairs,  John  Emerson  en- 
tered the  smoking  room.  His  glance  at  once  fell 
on  Darwin,  who,  angry  and  sullen,  stood  waiting 
in  a  corner.  Surprised  to  see  the  attorney,  the  old 
gentleman  advanced  with  extended  hand.  Cordially 
he  exclaimed : 

"My  dear  Mr.  Darwin,  I'm  so  glad.  Won't  you 
join  us  in  a  little  festive — er — dance — or  so?  It's 
Isabel's  birthday,  and " 

"Thanks,   I   don't   dance,"   said   Darwin  coldly. 

"Neither  do  I,"  smiled  Mr.  Emerson,  "but  I  man- 
age to  stumble  through  a  square  dance  or  two  dur- 
ing the  evening.  Your  wife  is  here." 

"Yes,  I  know,"  replied  the  lawyer  coldly.  "That 
is  why  I  am  here.  I  have  come  to  take  Mrs.  Darwin 
away." 

156 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Take  her  away?"  echoed  Mr.  Emerson  in  sur- 
prise. 

The  lawyer  tapped  the  floor  nervously  with  his 
cane.  Pointedly  he  said: 

"I  think,  Mr.  Emerson,  that  any  explanation,  in 
fact,  conversation  of  any  sort  between  us  is  ex- 
tremely difficult,  not  to  say  impossible,  under  the 
circumstances." 

The  old  banker  looked  at  his  visitor  with  amaze- 
ment. He  did  not  understand.  What  could  he 
mean?  He  did  not  like  mysteries. 

"Under  what  circumstances?"  he  demanded,  ele- 
vating his  eyebrows.  "What  are  the  circumstances, 
Mr.  Darwin,  that  makes  conversation  between  us 
impossible  ?" 

The  crowd  at  the  buffet,  seeing  their  host  engage 
the  queer  stranger  in  apparently  friendly  chat,  filed 
out  of  the  room,  followed  by  Tooker.  The  butler, 
dismissing  the  other  servants,  went  out,  shutting 
the  door  quietly  behind  him. 

"I  prefer  not  to  discuss  the  matter,"  said  Dar- 
win, shrugging  his  shoulders.  "I  have  come  to 
take  Mrs.  Darwin  home.  Will  you  have  the  kind- 
ness to  see  that  she  knows  I  am  here  ?" 

157 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Taken  back  for  the  moment  by  the  lawyer's  curt- 
ness  of  manner,  the  old  banker  looked  at  him  in 
bewilderment.  Then,  with  some  show  of  feeling, 
he  said: 

"I  regret  exceedingly,  Mr.  Darwin,  that  you — 
I'm  at  a  loss  what  to  say.  We  have  known  Kath- 
ryn  ever  since  she  and  Isabel  were  schoolgirls  to- 
gether. Come,  James,  we  used  to  be  very  good 
friends.  Let  me  take  a  friend's  privilege  and  beg 
an  explanation.  Isn't  it  something  that  can  be  put 
right  with  a  few  words?" 

"I  prefer  not  to  discuss  the  matter,"  replied  Dar- 
win coldly. 

Mr.  Emerson  put  out  a  protesting  hand. 

"I'm  an  older  man  than  you,  James.  For  Kath- 
ryn's  sake,  for  all  our  sakes,  don't  allow  a  simple 
misunderstanding  to  cut  her  off  from  her  friends. 
Isabel  and  she  are  like  sisters." 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Darwin  bitterly,  "and  your 
son  Wilbur  is  like  a  brother.  It's  all  very  pretty 
and  platonic,  I've  no  doubt." 

The  old  man  made  an  exclamation.  Now  he 
understood. 

"Ah,  I  see,"  he  said,  shaking  his  head;  "some 

158 


THH    GAMBLERS 


gossip,  some  silly  rumor.  Surely  you  won't  con- 
demn him  unheard?  Wilbur  is  the  very  soul  of 
honor.  I'll  stake  my  life  on  his  integrity  as  a  man. 
And  Kathryn — I  won't  believe  that  she " 

"Kindly  leave  Mrs.  Darwin's  name  out  of  this 
affair,"  interrupted  the  lawyer  curtly.  "She  has 
nothing  to  do  with  my  determination  to  put  an  end 
to  further  communication  with  your  family.  It's 
something  of  a  totally  different  character." 

Mr.  Emerson  looked  at  him  keenly,  as  if  trying 
to  comprehend  the  real  significance  of  his  words. 
Slowly  he  said: 

"The  nature  of  which  you  evidently  seem  anxious 
to  acquaint  me  with." 

Seeing  the  futility  of  trying  any  further  to  ce- 
ment the  breach,  the  old  gentleman  compressed  his 
lips  and  drew  himself  up  with  dignity.  Gravely 
he  added:  "Just  as  you  please.  I — I  ask  your 
pardon." 

With  a  courteous  bow  the  veteran  banker  walked 
out  with  dignity.  He  had  hardly  disappeared  be- 
fore Kathryn  entered  the  room.  She  was  beauti- 
fully gowned,  her  cheeks  were  red  and  her  eyes 
fairly  sparkled  with  the  exhilaration  of  the  dance. 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Hello,  James!"  she  cried  as  she  caught  sight  of 
her  husband.  "Why  did  you  come  so  early  ?  What 
did  you  say  to  Mr.  Emerson?  He  was  so  upset 
that  he  said  good-bye  to  me  just  now — I  told  him 
I  hadn't  the  slightest  intention  of  going.  What 
have  you  said  to  him?" 

"Kathryn,"  said  the  lawyer  sternly,  "I  want  you 
to  come  home  at  once." 

His  wife  looked  at  him  in  amazement.  Could 
he  be  in  his  senses?  Opening  wide  her  large,  fine 
eyes,  she  exclaimed: 

"You're  not  serious,  are  you?  Why,  I've  only 
just  arrived.  I'm  enjoying  myself  thoroughly.  I 
can't  go  for  at  least  an  hour,  so  if  you  don't  mind 
waiting " 

"I  do  mind,"  replied  Darwin  curtly. 

Holding  out  her  engagement  card,  she  cried: 

"Surely  you  don't  expect  me  to  break  all  these 
engagements  ?" 

"I  asked  you  not  to  come  here  to-night.  You 
willfully  disregarded  my — my " 

"Your  orders?"  she  laughed. 

"My  request,"  he  said  firmly;  "and  now  you 
must  take  the  consequences." 

160 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"You  gave  me  no  reason/'  she  protested.  "No 
explanation — I  didn't  think  you  were  in  earnest." 

"The  fact  that  it  was  my  wish  should  be  suf- 
ficient reason,"  he  snapped. 

"Oh,  nonsense,  James!" 

He  advanced  angrily.  His  face  was  set  and  de- 
termined. 

"Kathryn,  I " 

"Please  drop  that  tragic  expression,"  she  replied 
with  a  laugh.  "Why  not  stay  yourself?  There 
are  lots  of  pretty  girls  here  who  would  be  simply 
charmed  to  dance  with  the  famous  prosecuting 
attorney.  No,  I'll  dance  ten  numbers  with  you  my- 
self, and  God  knows  that  is  penance  enough  for  hav- 
ing dared  to  disobey  my  lord  and  master's  injunc- 
tion! Is  that  the  right  legal  term?  Oh,  come, 
James,  soften  up — come  out  of  your  shell !" 

"You  don't  take  me  seriously,  eh?"  exclaimed 
Darwin  savagely.  "That's  your  latest  pose — you 
refuse  to  take  anything  seriously." 

It  was  now  her  turn  to  get  angry.  Endeavoring, 
however,  to  restrain  herself,  she  replied  calmly: 

"I  dare  not !  Whether  life  is  a  tragedy  or  comedy 
to  me  depends  on  the  way  I  look  at  it.  I  prefer 

161 


THE    GAMBLERS 


comedy.  That's  why  I  chose  to  come  here  and 
revel  in  wifely  disobedience  rather  than  sit  at  home 
contemplating  my  virtuous,  submissive  self  in  lonely 
solitude !" 

He  looked  at  her  in  silence,  wondering  how  far 
her  resistance  would  go,  astounded  at  this  unac- 
customed display  of  spirit.  Doggedly  he  said : 

"Do  you  wish  me  to  understand  that  you  refuse 
to  come  home?" 

"Oh,  let  me  stay,  James,"  she  pleaded. 

"It's  impossible,"  he  replied  firmly. 

"I'll  cancel  all  those  engagements,"  she  went  on 
coaxingly,  "every  one  of  them,  and  dance  through 
the  whole  list  with  you  if  you'll  stay.  Could  any 
wife  do  more?  Furthermore,  I'll  wear  sackcloth 
and  ashes  for  the  remainder  of  the  week,  as  extra 
penance."  He  shook  his  head,  and  seeing  that  she 
could  not  bend  him,  she  went  on  bitterly:  "No- 
adamant,  eh?  Stern,  strong,  unbending  and  un- 
yielding! Fine  qualities  for  a  statue,  James,  but 
not  for  a  husband!" 

He  winced  under  her  irony.  Shifting  about  un- 
easily on  his  feet  he  muttered : 

"You  don't  understand.  In  the  light  of  recent 
162 


THE    GAMBLERS 


events  you  must  not  be  seen  here  among  these  peo- 
ple. It's  not  expedient.  It's  not-— — " 

She  knew  that  he  was  prevaricating,  that  the 
pending  prosecution  was  not  the  real  reason. 
Quietly  she  said : 

"There  are  more  than  a  hundred  people  here. 
Which  particular  person  do  you  object  to?" 

"All  of  them  in  general,"  he  replied  contempt- 
uously ;  then  quickly  he  added :  "Your  host,  Wilbur 
Emerson  in  particular." 

"He  is  not  my  host,"  she  cried. 

"This  is  his  house.  The  Emersons,  the  Cowpers 
and  others  associated  with  him  in  business  are 
here.  I  know  the  whole  list;  it  reads  like  a  bank- 
ers' convention.  I — I  wish  you  to  leave  at  once." 

"It  will  seem  so  strange,"  she  murmured  hesi- 
tatingly. 

Glancing  at  his  watch  he  said  quickly: 

"I've  just  time  to  leave  you  at  the  house." 

She  looked  up  at  him  in  surprise. 

"Then  you  are  not  coming  home  with  me?" 

"No.  I  must  go  to  Washington  at  midnight.  In 
the  meantime,  I've  an  important  conference  to-night 
and  one  with  the  attorney  general  to-morrow.  He's 

163 


THE    GAMBLERS 


determined  to  enforce  the  law,  and  has  retained  me 
to  help  him.  These  people  are  to  be  rooted  out — 
exterminated — made  an  example  of.  Of  course,  I 
need  not  tell  you  that  it  means  political  advance- 
ment if  I  succeed  in  convicting  them — perhaps  the 
attorney-generalship. ' ' 

"So !"  she  cried  scornfully,  "must  you  always  rise 
on  the  downfall  of  others?"  Imploringly  she  went 
on:  "James,  these  people  are  my  friends — your 
friends — they  have  helped  us  in  so  many  ways." 

"I  have  no  friends,"  he  interrupted  icily.  "Be- 
sides, whatever  old  Emerson  did  for  me  years  ago 
has  been  double  discounted  by  his  son." 

"How?"  she  demanded. 

He  held  out  his  hand.  With  suppressed  wrath 
he  exclaimed: 

"Let  me  see  your  engagement  card." 

Slowly  she  handed  it  to  him,  and  carefully,  delib- 
erately he  read  the  initials  scribbled  on  the  card  in 
pencil.  Scoffingly  he  exclaimed : 

"W.  E.— W.  E.— W.  E.— and  so  on— W.  E.— 
Wilbur  Emerson.  I  think  that's  the  answer,  Kath- 
ryn!" 

"Mr  Emerson  is  not  here  to-night,"  she  protested 
164 


THE    GAMBLERS 


quickly.  "These  are  unfilled  promises.  Why,  what 
nonsense!  He  is  not  sufficiently  interested  in  me 
to  even  keep  his  engagements." 

Darwin  looked  at  her  searchingly.  Quickly  he 
retorted : 

"He  was  sufficiently  interested  to  make  them." 

"No,"  she  answered  carelessly,  "that's  his  sister 
Isabel's  writing.  She  only  did  it  for  fun;  the  man 
isn't  even  here." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.     Savagely  he  said: 

"It  makes  no  matter.  These  people  are  malefac- 
tors— criminals — a  menace  to  society." 

"I  don't  believe  it !"  she  cried  angrily. 

"You  don't  want  to  believe  it,"  he  replied  coldly. 
"I" intend  to  show  you  that  I  am  right." 

"Of  course  you  are  right,"  she  retorted  ironically. 
"Even  if  you  were  not,  you  have  the  horrible  fac- 
ulty of  being  able  to  prove  that  I  am  wrong.  That's 
the  penalty  I  pay  for  being  the  wife  of  a  clever  law- 
yer. But,  James,  can't  you  let  some  one  else  under- 
take this  investigation?" 

"No,"  he  replied  firmly. 

"For  my  sake,"  she  persisted  coaxingly,  "do  this 
one  thing  for  my  sake." 

165 


THE    GAMBLERS 


He  looked  at  her  coldly. 

"What!"  he  exclaimed  angrily;  "give  up  an  op- 
portunity like  this — the  chance  of  a  lifetime!  See 
how  little  you  care  whether  I  succeed  or  fail !  You 
ought  to  be  glad  my  chance  has  come  at  last,  but 
you  don't  care;  you've  never  really  cared!" 

Kathryn  turned  her  head  away.  Indifferently  she 
answered : 

"Yes,  once  I  cared,  when  I  thought  you  were 
actuated  by  a  genuine  desire  to  help  others  by  re- 
forming them.  But  in  the  present  case  you  seem 
to  think  only  of  your  own  advancement." 

"And  you — you  think  only — of  him!"  he  retorted 
angrily. 

"James!" 

She  was  about  to  make  an  indignant  protest  when 
suddenly  Isabel  entered  the  room.  Approaching 
her  chum  hurriedly  she  said  reproachfully : 

"Kitty— Kitty— this  won't  do!  We  can't  let  you 
go  like  this.  Oh,  let  her  stay,  Mr.  Darwin — don't 
be  such  a  bear." 

Kathryn  shook  her  head. 

"I  must  go.    Good-bye,'*  she  said. 

"Is  it  as  bad  as  that?"  exclaimed  Isabel.  "And 
1 66 


THE    GAMBLERS 


this  is  married  life.     Poor  old  Kate !    Oh,  you  men 
are  monsters!    I  wouldn't  marry  the  best  of  you." 

"Indeed,"  replied  Darwin,  mockingly. 

"No,"  exclaimed  the  girl  spiritedly;  "I'm  an  old 
maid  and,  please  God,  I  intend  to  stay  one  till  I 
meet  the  right  man."  Pleadingly  she  added :  "Why 
don't  you  stay,  Mr.  Darwin?  Impose  penance  on 
yourself  and  dance  with  me." 

The  lawyer  bowed  and  replied  coldly : 

"Thank  you,  it's  quite  impossible." 

"My  brother  will  be  terribly  disappointed,"  she 
exclaimed. 

"I've  no  doubt,"  replied  the  lawyer,  with  an  iron- 
ical smile.  "Please  express  to  him  my  deepest  re- 
grets." Turning  to  his  wife  he  said :  "Come,  Kate, 
my  appointment  is  at  ten.  My  train  goes  at  twelve." 

He  bowed  and  went  toward  the  door.  Kathryn 
stood  saying  good-bye  to  Isabel. 

"Is  this  what  you  call  making  a  stand?"  said  the 
latter.  "I  thought  you  were  going  to  rebel — 
openly." 

"I  did,"  sighed  Kathryn,  "but  it  didn't  quite 
work.  I'm  not  going  home  because  I'm  afraid  to 
displease  him.  I'm  going  because — for  your  sake. 

167 


THE    GAMBLERS 


He  has  threatened  your  father  and  brother — 
with " 

Isabel  opened  wide  her  eyes. 

"Why,  Kate,  what  do  you  mean?"  she  cried  anx- 
iously. 

Darwin,  already  at  the  door,  looked  back  im- 
patiently. 

"Hush!  I'll  tell  you  to-morrow.  So  glad  your 
dance  is  such  a  huge  success.  Good-bye,  dear." 

Walking  straight  out,  she  followed  her  husband 
downstairs. 


168 


CHAPTER  XI 

ISABEL  accompanied  her  friend  downstairs  and 
stood  at  the  front  door  regretfully  watching 
her  depart.  It  was  too  absurd  to  have  her 
go  away  like  that ;  the  fun  had  only  just  begun.  She 
was  extremely  fond  of  Kathryn,  and  it  aroused  her 
indignation  to  think  that  a  husband  could  treat  his 
wife  with  such  little  consideration.  She  was  glad 
now  that  she  had  never  married.  People  might 
make  fun  of  her  for  being  an  old  maid,  but  at  least 
she  was  her  own  mistress.  She  was  not  shackled  to 
a  tyrant  who  could  bully  her  and  make  her  life  mis- 
erable. However,  the  unpleasant  incident  must  not 
be  permitted  to  spoil  the  party.  There  were  other 
friends  whose  amusements  must  be  catered  to. 

The  cab  rattled  away,  and  she  was  about  to  re- 
enter  the  hall,  when  she  noticed  two  men  who  were 
standing  still,  watching  the  house,  on  the  other  side 
of  the  avenue.  At  first  she  took  them  for  chance 
passers-by,  attracted  by  the  lights  and  music,  but 

169 


THE    GAMBLERS 


their  actions  were  so  peculiar  that  she  called  the 
footman  and  drew  his  attention  to  them. 

"Yes,  miss,"  said  the  man,  touching  his  hat  re- 
spectfully, "I  seen  them  fellers  loafing  round  here 
for  the  last  hour  or  so.  I  don't  know  who  they  are. 
I  thought  perhaps  they  were  waiting  for  some  of 
the  people  in  the  house.  Shall  I  go  and  ask  them 
what  they  want,  miss?" 

"No,  never  mind,  Peters,"  said  Isabel.  "First  I'll 
speak  to  my  brother  about  it.  He  may  know  who 
they  are." 

"Very  good,  miss." 

From  the  distance  came  the  strains  of  sensuous, 
dreamy  music.  The  orchestra  had  struck  up  an- 
other waltz.  Returning  indoors,  Isabel  ran  quickly 
upstairs  to  look  for  her  brother.  Those  strange 
men  were  certainly  mysterious.  Perhaps  they  were 
burglars.  There  had  been  a  lot  of  robberies  lately 
in  the  neighborhood.  The  house  was  full  of  silver 
and  other  valuables.  The  stories  she  had  read  in 
the  papers  had  made  her  so  horribly  nervous  that 
she  actually  dreaded  night  time  coming.  She  was 
afraid  to  go  about  the  house,  fearing  that  a  masked 
ruffian  might  spring  at  her  from  some  dark  corner. 

170 


THE    GAMBLERS 


In  the  smoking  room  she  found  the  butler  stack- 
ing poker  chips  on  the  card  table. 

"Is  Mr.  Wilbur  home  yet,  Thomas?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,  miss,  a  few  moments  ago.    He's  dressing.'* 

The  man  went  on  with  his  work  of  preparing  for 
the  poker  game.  The  girl  watched  him  stacking  the 
ivory  chips.  Presently  she  said:  "Are  they  going 
to  play  cards  to-night?" 

"Yes,  miss." 

A  cloud  crossed  the  girl's  face.  She  did  not  like 
the  idea  of  the  men  being  closeted  in  the  smoking 
room  playing  cards  while  she  had  the  work  of  en- 
tertaining the  ladies  in  the  drawing  room.  In  a 
disappointed  tone  she  said: 

"Are  you  sure?" 

"Yes,  miss." 

"How  many  will  play  ?" 

"My  orders  were  to  set  for  four,  miss." 

As  the  servant  spoke  the  door  opened  and  Wil- 
bur entered  the  room.  The  financier's  appearance 
suggested  a  hasty  toilette.  His  dress  coat  was 
hardly  on  and  his  white  cravat  was  awry.  His  face 
was  pale,  his  manner  nervous  and  flustered. 

"Hello,  sis!"  he  said  as  he  came  in.  "What's 
171 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  good   word?     I'm  late,  eh?     I  was  detained 
down-town." 

His  sister  pointed  to  the  card  table.  Reproach- 
fully she  said: 

"You're  not  going-  to  play  cards  to-night,  are 
you?" 

The  banker  glanced  quickly  at  the  table. 

"Yes,  we  are,"  he  said  grimly. 

"But  we  women — the  dancing — it  will  spoil 
everything,"  she  protested. 

Having  arranged  the  cards  to  his  liking,  the  but- 
ler discreetly  left  the  room.  Wilbur  went  to  the 
table  and  toyed  nervously  with  the  chips. 

"Very  sorry,  sis,  but  I  promised  the  fellows  to 
have  this  game.  We'll  call  it  off  at  supper  time, 
and  then  we'll  dance  till  daybreak.  How  does  that 
suit  you?  Who's  here?"  Without  waiting  for  her 
answer,  he  asked  quickly:  "Is — she — here?" 

"Who — Kathryn?  She  was  here — and  see  what 
a  good  sister  you've  got — I  put  you  down  for  six 
dances  on  her  card." 

He  interrupted  her  quickly. 

"You  say  she  was  here  ?    Isn't  she  here  still  ?" 

"No;  her  husband  came  and  took  her  away." 
172 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Took  her  away?  What  do  you  mean?" 

He  stood  staring  at  his  sister  in  amazement,  not 
understanding,  thinking  that  she  was  jesting. 

"Took  her  away?"  he  repeated. 

"Yes,"  said  Isabel.  "I  don't  know  why.  He 
was  very  curt  and  rude,  and  appeared  very  angry. 
He  was  in  this  room  not  five  minutes  ago." 

The  young  banker  turned  pale  and  clutched  at 
the  table  for  support. 

"Ah!     He  was,  eh?"  he  exclaimed  hoarsely. 

Isabel,  concerned,  went  up  to  him. 

"What's  the  matter,  Wilbur?"  she  cried,  alarmed. 
"Are  you  ill?" 

"No — no — it's  nothing." 

Now  he  understood.  It  was  clear  enough.  Mat- 
ters in  the  bank  were  approaching  a  crisis.  The 
authorities  were  about  to  take  action.  James  Dar- 
win, public  prosecuting  officer,  did  not  care  to  have 
his  wife  accepting  the  hospitality  of  the  Emerson 
family.  It  was  clear  as  daylight. 

"I'm  glad  I  didn't  meet  him,"  he  said  hastily. 
"So  he  took  her  away,  eh?  Did  he  say  why?" 

"No.  He  made  no  explanations.  His  manner 
was  peculiar." 

173 


THE,    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur  went  to  the  door  and  opened  it  cautiously 
as  if  to  make  sure  that  no  one  was  listening.  Then, 
turning  to  his  sister,  his  face  set  and  drawn,  he  said 
in  a  low  tone: 

"Well,  I  might  as  well  tell  you,  sis.  I  suppose 
it  will  come  out  sooner  or  later,  but  whatever  you 
hear,  don't  worry.  Darwin's  the  man  who's  going 
to  make  the  investigation  of  our  banks.  I'd  rather 
it  had  been  anyone  else — anyone.  You  know,  Bella, 
I'm  not  afraid  of  any  man — any  number  of  men. 
I've  faced  and  fought  them  with  every  weapon 
from  a  jackknife  to  an  army  Colt — struggled  with 
them  mentally  and  physically,  and  won  out  when 
the  odds  were  against  me.  But  this  man  Darwin 
affects  me  like  a  snake.  I  always  want  to  put  my 
foot  on  his  head  and  crush  him.  He  seems  to  gain 
the  upper  hand  at  every  point,  and  now  he  has 
turned  the  Federal  Government  loose  on  us.  When 
that  man  gets  you  in  the  witness  chair  he  seems  to 
be  inspired.  He  has  second  sight,  or  something  of 
the  sort.  It's  positively  uncanny — he's  a  fiend  at 
cross-examination;  he  knows  just  what  he  wants 
you  to  say,  and,  by  God,  he  makes  you  say  it.  I 
saw  him  twist  up  poor  old  Johnson,  the  insurance 

174 


THE    GAMBLERS 


millionaire,  till  he  made  him  lie  about  himself.  He's 
a  machine — an  instrument  of  torture.  His  pose  is 
that  he  hates  money,  but  in  reality  he  only  hates 
the  men  who  make  money." 

Isabel  nodded  in  sisterly  sympathy.  Slowly  she 
said: 

"Kate  leads  a  miserably  unhappy  life  with 
him.  There's  not  a  particle  of  sympathy  between 
them." 

"I  know — I  know,"  he  replied,  pacing  the  floor 
nervously. 

Suddenly  Isabel  bethought  herself  of  the  two 
mysterious  men. 

"Oh,  by  the  bye,  Wilbur,  I  forgot  to  tell  you. 
When  I  went  downstairs  just  now  with  Kate  I  no- 
ticed two  men  watching  the  house  from  across  the 
way.  Peters  says  they've  been  there  for  over  an 
hour.  Do  you  think  they're  burglars — ought  we 
to  send  for  the  police  ?" 

The  young  man  started  nervously.  Going  quickly 
to  the  window  he  drew  aside  the  curtain.  When 
he  turned  round  again  his  face  was  almost  livid. 

"It  isn't  necessary  to  send  for  the  police,"  he 
said  hoarsely.  "Those  men  are  policemen — they're 

175 


THE    GAMBLERS 


detectives  set  on  by  that  man  Darwin  to  watch  my 
every  move.  I  didn't  know  he'd  go  as  far  as 
that." 

Isabel,  alarmed,  looked  more  closely  at  her 
brother.  She  didn't  know  what  he  meant.  She 
had  no  knowledge  of  the  bank's  affairs.  Something 
was  wrong,  that  was  evident.  She  remembered 
now  that  her  brother's  manner  had  been  upset  and 
nervous  for  several  days.  Anxiously  she  exclaimed : 

"Wilbur,  you're  hiding  something  from  me — 
something  serious  has  happened!" 

"No,  just  a  little  technical  interference  from 
Washington,  that's  all." 

But  Isabel  was  not  convinced. 

"Please  tell  me,  Wilbur,"  she  entreated. 

"What  in  God's  name  made  her  marry  such  a 
man?"  he  cried  fiercely,  forgetting  for  the  moment 
his  greater  trouble  in  sympathizing  with  the  woman 
he  had  loved  and  lost. 

"Why  didn't  you  marry  her?"  replied  his  sister. 
"I've  never  forgiven  you  for  that,  Wilbur." 

"I  never  knew  till  it  was  too  late.  A  man  fight- 
ing for  success  is  a  busy  animal  in  these  days,  Bella. 
I  won  success,  but  I  lost  her.  I'm  afraid  I  have 

176 


THE    GAMBLERS 


grasped  the  shadow  of  life  and  lost  the  substance." 
Laying  a  hand  affectionately  on  his  sister's  shoul- 
der he  added:  "If  anything  happens,  old  girl,  you 
and  father  are  all  right — that's  one  comfort." 

"But  Wilbur,"  she  protested,  "you  must  tell  me 
what  has  happened." 

The  young  man  was  about  to  reply  when  the  door 
leading  from  the  ballroom  opened  and  John  Emer- 
son entered.  The  aged  banker  had  a  serious,  wor- 
ried look  on  his  face.  Gossip  he  had  just  overheard 
gave  startling  corroboration  to  strange  rumors 
which  had  reached  his  ears  during  the  last  few  days, 
rumors  that  reflected  on  the  credit  and  the  solvency 
of  the  Emerson  Bank.  For  the  last  year  or  so  he 
had  given  little  attention  to  the  management.  He 
had  left  everything  to  his  son,  and  apparently  the 
bank  was  never  so  prosperous.  What,  then,  could 
these  disquieting  rumors  mean?  It  was  imperative 
that  he  have  a  talk  with  Wilbur  at  once.  Turning 
to  his  daughter  he  said : 

"What — the  whole  family  here!  We  must  have 
a  representative  upstairs.  You  run  along  and  look 
after  your  guests." 

"Don't  let  him  keep  you  here  the  whole  evening, 
177 


THE    GAMBLERS 


father;  lots  of  young  ladies  are  anxious  to  dance 
with  you." 

"Am  I  as  old  as  that?"  laughed,  the  veteran 
banker. 

"No,"  laughed  Isabel,  "you're  the  youngest  mem- 
ber of  the  family." 

She  tripped  out  of  the  room,  and  Mr.  Emerson 
turned  to  his  son.  Gravely  he  said: 

"What  about  these  rumors,  Wilbur — we're 
solvent  ?" 

"Solvent?  Yes — but — "  replied  the  young  man. 
He  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and  then  went 
on:  "If  the  Federal  Government  will  let  us 
alone  for  a  week — three  days — we'll  have  a  chain 
of  fifteen  banks  instead  of  twelve — enough  to  fight 
the  big  fellows  and  beat  them  at  their  own  game." 

Mr.  Emerson  shook  his  head.    Dubiously  he  said : 

"I  confess  I  don't  understand  these  modern  finan- 
cial methods.  I'm  leaving  the  matter  to  you,  my 
boy.  I'm  nominally  'the  president,  but  you're  the 
head,  the  moving  spirit  of  the  whole  concern.  I'm 
afraid  I'm  too  old  to  follow  the  game  as  it  is 
played  in  these  days.  Banking  was  a  gentleman's 
occupation;  now  it's — a  fight  in  the  dark." 

178 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,"  answered  Wilbur  quietly,  "and  I  have  had 
to  fight  back  also  in  the  dark.  Father,  you  are 
almost  in  total  ignorance  as  to  how  matters  stand 
with  the  bank  to-day.  You  trusted  implicitly  to 
me,  and  I — I've  taken  unfair  advantage  of  you. 
The  note  you  indorsed  at  my  request  was  not  used 
for  exactly  the  purposes — I  outlined." 

"I  trust  you,  my  boy,"  said  Mr.  Emerson  warmly. 
"Whatever  you  have  done,  you  have  done  for  the 
best.  I  know  that." 

The  young  man  averted  his  face.  Hoarsely  he 
went  on: 

"But  you  don't  know  all!  I  borrowed  our  own 
funds,  and  the  authorities  have  found  it  out!" 

Startled,  the  old  banker  looked  keenly  at  his  son. 
These  damaging  rumors  were  true,  then.  With 
emotion  he  exclaimed : 

"My  God !    Boy,  that's  a  prison  offense!" 

"It  will  all  be  paid  back,"  said  Wilbur  quickly, 
"every  penny.  We  have  the  money." 

The  banker  looked  at  his  son  fixedly.  Gravely 
he  said : 

"Then  pay  it  at  once.  It  must  never  be  said  that 
an  Emerson  is  a  defaulter." 

179 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  I  would  have  done  so  to-day,"  explained 
Wilbur  hurriedly,  "but  the  Government  experts 
took  possession  of  the  banks  this  afternoon  just  be- 
fore the  closing  hour.  The  notes  on  which  we 
borrowed  the  money  are  still  unpaid !" 

Stunned  by  the  shock  of  this  unexpected  news, 
Mr.  Emerson  collapsed  into  a  seat.  This,  then, 
was  the  fruit  of  the  new  bank  policy!  Ah,  he 
blamed  himself  now  for  having  been  so  weak  as  to 
yield  to  the  importunities  of  his  son  and  the  other 
directors.  If  he  had  remained  firm  and  retained 
the  controlling  hand,  this  misfortune,  this  disgrace, 
could  not  have  come  about.  He  did  not  know  what 
to  say,  what  to  advise.  All  he  could  do  was  to 
murmur  feebly: 

"My  son,  my  son,  this  is  terrible!" 

Wilbur  placed  a  comforting  hand  on  his  shoulder. 
Reassuringly  he  said: 

"Don't  worry,  father.  It'll  come  out  all  right; 
you'll  see.  I've  got " 

His  words  were  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
Tooker  and  Raymond,  who  came  in,  followed  by 
the  butler.  Wilbur  greeted  them. 

"Ah,  Tooker — Raymond — how  are  you?" 
1 80 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Tooker  approached  Mr.  Emerson.  Patting  him 
on  the  back  with  offensive  familiarity,  he  said: 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Emerson ;  I  didn't  know  you 
played  cards." 

"He  doesn't,"  interrupted  Wilbur  quickly,  "and 
he  is  not  going  to  play  to-night." 

Mr.  Emerson  looked  slowly  from  one  to  the 
other,  trying  to  gauge  the  significance  of  their 
words.  What  did  it  mean,  this  poker  game  played 
by  directors  of  a  bank  at  such  an  inopportune  mo- 
ment, at  a  time  not  only  when  the  bank  was  under 
the  fire  of  criticism,  but  when  the  other  guests  were 
already  wondering  at  their  absence  ?  This  evidently 
was  no  ordinary  poker  game.  These  men  were 
about  to  play  for  other  stakes  than  money.  As 
head  of  the  bank  it  was  his  duty  to  remain  and 
take  part.  Firmly,  decisively,  he  asserted  himself. 
With  quiet  dignity  he  said : 

"Yes,  you  gentlemen  are  directors  and  stockhold- 
ers in  the  bank  of  which  I  am  president,  and  I — I 
shall  take  a  hand  in  the  game." 

"This  is  no  time  for  games,"  growled  Raymond, 
chewing  viciously  at  his  cigar.  "Rumors  are  spread- 
ing thick  and  fast  about  us  all  over  town." 

181 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Just  the  time  for  a  little  friendly  game,"  inter- 
rupted Wilbur  nervously.  "Never  let  your  enemies 
see  you're  too  worried  to  enjoy  yourself." 

"Enemies  can't  see  us  here,"  grinned  Tooker. 

Wilbur  approached  his  fellow  director  quickly. 
In  an  undertone  so  that  his  father  might  not  hear, 
he  said: 

"They  can,  and  they  do;  the  searchlight  of  in- 
vestigation is  turned  on  us,  and  every  movement  we 
make  is  watched." 

Tooker  shrugged  his  shoulders  and,  taking  a  seat 
at  the  card  table,  beckoned  to  the  butler. 

"Shall  we  sit  down?"  he  said.  "Might  as  well 
begin.  Thomas,  bring  me  some  soda  and  whisky." 

While  the  servant  went  to  get  the  refreshments 
asked  for,  Wilbur  turned  to  Raymond. 

"Where's  Cowper?    Have  you  seen  him  to-day?" 

Raymond  shook  his  head. 

"No,  I  haven't  seen  him." 

"He  was  at  our  Fifth  Avenue  branch  early  this 
morning,"  volunteered  Tooker. 

Wilbur  paced  the  floor  nervously.  Hesitatingly, 
he  said : 

"I  don't  know  why,  but  I'm  afraid  of  Cowper." 
182 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Afraid  of  him?  How?"  demanded  Mr.  Em- 
erson. 

"He's  been  acting  queerly  these  last  few  days," 
explained  Wilbur.  "I  don't  think  he's  quite  one  of 
us.  I'm  not  sure  that  he  can  stand  the  gaff." 

"What's  he  done?"  demanded  Raymond. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Wilbur.  "It's  just  a— a 
feeling,  that's  all." 

"Oh,  George  is  all  right!'  exclaimed  Raymond 
pompously. 

Tooker,  a  born  gambler,  ready  to  stake  anything, 
risk  anything  in  a  game  of  chance,  was  becoming 
impatient  at  the  delay. 

"Can't  we  begin  without  him?"  he  asked. 

"Not  very  well,"  replied  Wilbur.  "We  are  all 
interested,  and " 

"A  little  less  soda,  Thomas,"  protested  Tooker, 
"and  a  trifle  more  alcohol.  I'm  too  fat  as  it  is, 
and  one  pint  of  mineral  slops  does  more  to  tighten 
a  fat  man's  vest  than  a  gallon  of  whisky." 

"It  may  tighten  his  vest,"  retorted  Raymond, 
'but  it  doesn't  loosen  his  tongue.  Vichy  for  me." 

"I  see,"  grinned  Tooker.  "You  take  your  poison 
straight.  I  like  a  little  antidote  in  mine.  Don't 

183 


THE    GAMBLERS 


forget  the  Scotch,  Thomas."  Starting  to  count 
his  chips,  he  added:  "Well,  are  we  going  to  wait 
for  him?" 

The  butler  went  to  draw  the  blinds. 

"We  must,"  said  Wilbur.  Quickly  he  called  back 
to  the  butler:  "Don't  pull  that  blind  down, 
Thomas." 

"Why  not?"  demanded  Raymond. 

Wilbur  bent  over  so  the  butler  could  not  hear. 
In  a  low  tone  he  said: 

"Because  we're  watched " 

"Watched!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Emerson. 

Wilbur  nodded. 

"There  have  been  two  Secret  Service  men  over 
there  all  day." 

"Secret  Service  men — Government  agents!"  ex- 
claimed the  old  gentleman  in  dismay. 

"What  does  this  mean,  Emerson?"  asked  Ray- 
mond. 

"I'll  explain  when  Cowper  comes,"  said  Wilbur 
evasively.  "In  the  meantime,"  he  added,  with  a 
feeble  attempt  at  jocularity,  "let. us  eat,  drink  and 
be  merry." 

Raymond  called  the  butler. 
184 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"You'd  better  bring  me  a  little — Clysmic — er — 
no — White  Rock — er — no — make  it  Apollinaris." 

"Don't  get  reckless  and  mix  those  drinks," 
growled  Tooker.  "Clysmic — White  Rock  and 
Apollinaris — Gee! — what  a  pousse-cafe." 

"Is  it  your  intention  to  be  personal,  sir?"  ex- 
claimed Raymond  angrily. 

"Personal?"  chuckled  Tooker.  "Why,  I  regard 
the  ostentatious  way  in  which  you  have  been  order- 
ing those  drinks  as  a  subtle  sneer  at  my  weakness 
for  high-balls."  He  slapped  his  fellow  director 
on  the  back  and  laughed.  Then,  seriously,  he 
added :  "I'm  only  talking  to  keep  up  my  courage. 
God  Almighty!  If  half  what  I  hear  is  true,  I'm 
scared  to  death.  Come  on,  Emerson,  let  us  hear  the 
worst." 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Raymond,  impatiently.  "Can't 
you  tell  us?  Why  keep  us  on  the  griddle?" 

Everybody  looked  at  Wilbur.  It  was  plainly  his 
duty  not  to  keep  them  in  suspense.  But  the  young 
banker  maintained  an  obstinate  and  dogged  silence. 
It  was  impossible  to  guess,  from  the  expression  of 
his  face,  if  the  danger  was  real  and  imminent,  or  if 
there  was  still  a  possibility  of  matters  being  adjusted 

185 


THE    GAMBLERS 


without  publicity  and  scandal.  The  true  gambler 
schools  himself  never  to  betray  his  hand.  No  mat- 
ter how  the  cards  are  going,  no  matter  if  he  has 
just  drawn  a  card  which  means  ruin  complete  and 
irrevocable,  his  face  must  remain  calm  and  in- 
scrutable. With  a  gesture  of  his  hand,  Wilbur 
pointed  to  the  table  and  took  his  seat.  On  his  right 
was  his  father,  next  came  Raymond.  Tooker  sat 
on  his  left,  with  an  empty  chair  beyond  for  Cowper. 
Picking  up  the  chips,  he  gave  each  man  a  stack. 
Then,  deliberately,  impressively,  he  took  the  new 
deck  of  cards  in  his  hand.  The  game  was  about  to 
begin. 

Suddenly  the   door   opened,    and   Cowper   hur- 
riedly entered,  nervous  and  haggard  looking. 


186 


CHAPTER  XII 

COWPER  advanced  into  the  room,  and  with 
a  sort  of  quick,  lurching  gait,  slid  into  the 
seat  left  vacant  at  the  table.    Fingering  his 
chips  nervously  and  without  looking  up,  he  said 
awkwardly : 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  I  hope  I  haven't  kept  the 
game  waiting.  Good  evening,  Mr.  Emerson." 

Still  avoiding  Wilbur's  gaze,  which  was  steadily 
fixed  upon  his  face,  the  newcomer  shook  hands  with 
Mr.  Emerson,  Sr. 

looker  put  down  his  glass.  With  a  growl  he 
said: 

"Wilbur  wouldn't  start  the  game  till  you  came. 
Can't  you  ever  be  on  time?" 

"I'm  very  sorry,"  said  Cowper  hastily.  "Impor- 
tant business  downtown  detained  me  till  nearly  nine 
o'clock.  I'm  really  very  sorry.  Is  this  my  place?" 

Wilbur,  who,  while  shuffling  the  cards,  still  fixed 
the  newcomer  with  a  persistent  stare,  nodded. 

187 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  that's  your  place,  Cowper."  Turning  to 
the  butler  he  said  in  a  low  tone:  "Thomas,  you 
can  pull  down  the  blinds  and  go." 

The  man  pulled  down  the  blinds  and  went  out, 
closing  the  door  behind  him.  Raymond  lit  another 
Jiuge  cigar.  Throwing  away  the  match,  he  growled : 

"Well,  now  we're  all  here,  let's  go  ahead.  To 
keep  up  the  pleasant  fiction,  what  game  are  we 
playing?" 

"Yes;  what  are  we  playing  for?"  chimed  in 
Tooker. 

All  looked  at  Wilbur.  They  knew  that  the  sit- 
uation was  desperate,  and  that  this  make-believe  of 
a  game  of  cards  was  only  to  mask  a  secret  directors' 
meeting.  Wilbur's  face  was  set  and  determined. 
His  associates  must  know  the  truth.  There  was 
nothing  to  hold  back.  Slowly  and  gravely  he  said : 

"Our  liberty!  That's  what  we  are  playing  for. 
Gentlemen,  the  hand  of  the  Federal  Government 
is  upon  us.  We've  gambled  and  we've  lost.  Un- 
less we  can  delay  the  Federal  experts'  examination 
for  twenty- four  hours — by  that  time  I  expect  to 
have  sufficient  money  to  buy  up  my  father's 

notes " 

1 88 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Why  not  mine,  and  Tooker's,  and  your  own?" 
interrupted  Raymond. 

"Oh,  let  him  go  on,"  exclaimed  Tooker. 

"My  father,"  explained  Wilbur,  hastily,  "did  not 
know  what  use  we  were  going  to  make  of  his  in- 
dorsements." 

"I  told  you,"  growled  Raymond,  "that  borrow- 
ing over  and  above  our  capital,  on  our  own  notes, 
was  a  dangerous  proceeding — damn  dangerous — I 
always " 

"Could  we  get  it  elsewhere?"  interrupted  Wilbur 
hotly. 

"God  knows  Wilbur  tried  hard  enough!"  said 
Mr.  Emerson. 

"I  certainly  did,"  exclaimed  Tooker. 

"And  I,"  said  Cowper  hesitatingly. 

Raymond  shrugged  his  shoulders  and,  jamming 
his  cigar  into  the  corner  of  his  mouth,  grunted  with 
an  injured  air: 

"I  was  against  branching  out  from  the  start." 

"Oh,  bosh!"  retorted  Tooker;  "you're  over 
twenty-one.  You  went  in  with  your  eyes 
open." 

Wilbur  raised  his  hand. 
189 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Gentlemen,  please,  no  bickering.  That's  all  a 
question  of  the  past.  We're  dealing  with  the  pres- 
ent and  the  future.  The  point  I  want  to  make  is 
that  we  five  men  have  broken  the  law.  The  big 
financial  crowd  that  controls  everything  has  urged 
the  Government  to  take  steps  against  us — and,  as 
matters  stand — a  long  term  in  prison  stares  us  in 
the  face,  unless — a  miracle  happens." 

"Miracles  don't  happen,"  growled  Raymond. 

"Never  did,"  chuckled  Tooker,  "except  in  the 
good  book." 

"Miracles  do  happen,"  insisted  Wilbur  firmly.  "I 
shall  have  sufficient  money  to-morrow  morning  to 
buy  up  those  notes." 

His  father  looked  at  him  in  amazement. 

"How  is  that  possible,  my  boy?"  he  exclaimed. 
"The  notes  are  in  the  vaults,  and  if  the  Govern- 
ment experts  are  in  possession " 

Wilbur  shook  his  head.    Grimly  he  said : 

"No,  I  took  the  notes  out  of  the  vaults  late  this 
afternoon,  before  they  closed  up." 

"Thank  God  for  that !"  exclaimed  Raymond,  with 
a  sigh  of  relief. 

"Where  are  they?"  demanded  Tooker. 
190 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Putting  his  hand  over  his  coat  inside  pocket,  Wil- 
bur said : 

"Here."  Continuing,  he  said:  "Without  these 
notes  there  will  not  be  sufficient  evidence  against 
us.  Our  institution  may  go  under,  but  the  crim- 
inal proceedings  will  fall  through." 

"Let  me  see  the  notes,"  said  Raymond. 

Mr.  Emerson  rose,  trembling  from  emotion. 
Shaking  his  head,  he  said  with  feeling: 

"Gentlemen,  I  feel  this  very  keenly.  This  dis- 
grace is  hard  for  me  to  bear.  I  left  everything  to 
you.  I  don't  know  what  to  advise." 

"That's  all  right,  dad,"  interrupted  Wilbur,  put- 
ting his  arm  affectionately  round  his  father's  shoul- 
der. "We'll  take  the  responsibility,  eh,  Tooker — 
and  you,  Raymond — Cowper — you're  all  pledged 
to  protect  him,  no  matter  what  comes,  eh?" 

"I  shall  return  every  penny  of  profit  I  have  ever 
made,"  went  on  the  old  man.  "Let  that  be  under- 
stood." 

"We  won't  discuss  that  now,"  said  Wilbur  hur- 
riedly. 

Raymond  chewed  his  cigar  in  wrathful  silence. 
Suddenly  he  blurted  out: 

191 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Nice  scrape,  this!  You  know  I  trusted  you, 
Wilbur — I  thought  you  knew  what  you  were 
doing." 

Wilbur  looked  him  straight  in  the  face.  With 
quiet  dignity  he  said : 

"And  I'm  going  to  prove  worthy  of  that  trust. 
I'd  rather  go  to  prison  for  ten  years  than  have  any 
of  you  suffer  through  me.  I  acknowledge  my 
guilt.  All  around  me  men  were  massing  up  mil- 
lions, and  were  using  those  millions  to  drive  us 
and  other  small  concerns  to  the  wall.  Didn't  they 
keep  us  out  of  the  Clearing  House?  I  saw  a 
chance  to  put  ourselves  in  a  position  to  protect  our- 
selves. I  submitted  this  idea  to  you  and — you  all 
took  chances.  You  were  hot  for  it,  Cowper,  and 
so  were  you,  Raymond — you  all  were — all  ex- 
cept my  father.  He  didn't  realize — he  didn't  even 
know  what  the  move  was — and  by  God  he  shan't 
suffer!  If  I  can  help  it,  none  of  you  shall 
suffer." 

Mr.  Emerson  grasped  his  son's  hand.  Kindly  he 
said: 

"I'm  not  reproaching  you,  Wilbur — I'm  only — 
bewildered — the  magnitude  of  the  whole  scheme,  as 

192 


THE    GAMBLERS 


you  outlined  it,  dazzled  me — but  I  confess  I — 
didn't  understand  it." 

"The  records  of  those  notes — what  of  them?" 
asked  looker. 

Wilbur  gave  a  smile  of  satisfaction. 

"Other  names  have  been  substituted.  Boys,  I 
took  no  measures.  They'll  never  be  able  to  trace 
them — take  them  home  and  destroy  them." 

Taking  from  his  pocket  a  long,  blue  envelope  he 
threw  it  on  the  table.  Exultingly  he  cried : 

"Now,  Mr.  Darwin,  let's  see  who'll  win  this 
fight!" 

"Darwin?"  exclaimed  Raymond;  "what  has  he 
to  do  with  it  ?" 

"The  attorney  general  has  turned  the  case  over 
to  him,"  said  Wilbur  quickly. 

"The  devil!"  exclaimed  Raymond. 

"Them's  my  sentiments  to  a  dot!"  chimed  in 
Tooker. 

Opening  the  envelope,  Raymond  picked  out  the 
note  signed  with  his  name.  As  he  glanced  at  it 
something  in  its  appearance  caused  him  to  inspect 
it  closer.  With  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  he  ejac- 
ulated : 

193 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"This  isn't  the  note  I  signed,  and  that  isn't  my 
signature.  Mr.  Emerson,  is  that  yours?  Wilbur, 
what's  the  meaning  of  this?" 

Wilbur  started  from  his  seat  and  snatched  up 
the  notes. 

"What's  that !"  he  exclaimed.  "I  didn't  examine 
them  closely.  They  were  in  the  usual  place  in  the 
vaults."  With  a  gesture  of  dismay,  he  cried :  "My 
God,  they  are  only  copies!" 

For  a  moment  there  followed  a  dead  silence  as 
each  man  hastily  examined  the  paper  bearing  his 
name.  The  quiet  was  so  intense  one  could  have 
heard  a  pin  drop.  Then,  all  at  once,  there  went  up 
a  general  chorus  of  dismay.  Wilbur,  utterly 
crushed  by  this  new  blow,  sank  back  in  his  seat. 

"Where  are  the  originals?"  he  exclaimed.  "Who 
can  have  taken  them  ?"  Examining  the  note  closely 
he  went  on:  "The  handwriting  on  these  copies  is 

very  familiar — very  familiar "  Looking  at 

Cowper  suspiciously,  he  added:  "Do — you — rec- 
ognize it,  Mr.  Cowper?" 

The  director  shuffled  uneasily  with  his  feet. 

"No — why — why — should  I?"  he  said  evasively. 

Wilbur  looked  steadily  at  him,  trying  to  read  the 
194 


THE    GAMBLERS 


truth  in  the  drawn,  haggard  face  of  the  director, 
many  of  whose  actions  recently  needed  explaining. 
For  some  days  he  had  suspected  that  Cowper  was 
not  all  he  pretended  to  be.  He  had  never  liked  the 
man.  His  college  record  was  bad.  Once  give  a 
dog  a  bad  name,  it  not  only  sticks  to  him,  but 
seems  to  mould  his  character.  There  was  nothing 
honorable  or  wholesome  about  Cowper.  He  was 
underhanded  and  tricky.  He  was  a  man  who  would 
not  hesitate  to  sacrifice  his  nearest  and  dearest,  if 
only  he  was  able  to  save  his  own  skin.  His  inability 
to  raise  a  loan,  his  mysterious  visits  downtown,  his 
many  questions  regarding  the  bank's  affairs,  all  this 
had  aroused  suspicion  in  Wilbur's  mind  that,  per- 
haps, he  had  gone  over  to  the  enemy.  Still  fixing 
Cowper  with  his  steady  gaze,  he  said  pointedly : 

"This  is  some  of  Darwin's  work.  I  know  his 
methods.  He  has  found  the  weak  spot  in  our  ar- 
mor. They've  secured  the  originals  and  substituted 
these  copies,  eh,  Cowper?" 

"I — it  looks  like  it — I  suppose  so,"  stammered 
Cowper,  trying  to  appear  unconcerned. 

"It  is  so,"  said  Wilbur  decisively;  "I'm  convinced 
of  it." 

195 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"It  certainly  looks  as  if  your  move  has  been  an- 
ticipated," said  Cowper. 

"Yes,"  said  Wilbur  pointedly.  "Some  one  has 
betrayed  us!" 

The  other  men  smoked  on  in  silence,  each  tax- 
ing his  brain  to  find  some  solution  to  the  mystery. 
Wilbur,  meantime,  never  took  his  eyes  from 
Cowper. 

"If  you  had  only  taken  my  advice!"  whined 
Raymond;  "if  you'd  only  have  listened  to  me,  you'd 
have  given  the  matter  more  thought — if " 

"If— if — if "  growled  Tooker. 

"What's  the  good  of  that  kind  of  talk,  Ray- 
mond?" exclaimed  Wilbur  impatiently.  "We're  in 
a  hole.  There's  no  use  figuring  how  we  got  in. 
The  question  is:  How  are  we  to  get  out?" 

"That's  it,"  chuckled  Tooker.  "Where  do  we. 
get  off?" 

"My  notes  are  there,  too,  are  they  not?"  asked 
Mr.  Emerson  quickly. 

"Yes,"  said  Wilbur  in  a  low  tone,  "that's  the 
worst  part  of  it." 

"It's  too  bad,  Mr.  Emerson,"  said  Tooker,  with 
a  feeble  attempt  at  sympathy. 

196 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"After  all,"  said  the  old  banker  with  a  smile,  "I 
don't  see  that  I'm  in  any  worse  position  than  the 
rest  of  you." 

"No,"  interrupted  Wilbur  quickly,  "but  your  case 
is  different.  These  men  are  speculators,  like  myself. 
They  knew  the  chances  they  were  taking — you 
didn't." 

"Neither  did  I,"  exclaimed  Raymond.  "That  is 
— not — not  thoroughly " 

"Oh,  stuff!"  retorted  Tooker  rudely. 

Mr.  Emerson  held  up  his  hand. 

"The  fault  is  my  own,  gentlemen,"  he  said  with 
dignity.  'Please  don't  allow  my  individual  mis- 
fortune to  add  to  yours.  Let  each  man  pay  for  his 
own  folly  at  the  current  market  price." 

"No,"  exclaimed  Wilbur.  "Some  of  us  may 
yet  escape.  I  have  thought  out  a  way.  Why  should 
five  of  us  go  to  prison?  I  see  a  way  out  of  it  for 
four  of  us.  Let  one  of  us  assume  the  entire  respon- 
sibility. All  the  Government  asks  is  a  victim.  The 
politicians  at  Washington  will  be  satisfied  if  they 
can  show  reformers,  informers  and  muckrakers  that 
they  do  send  a  rich  man  to  prison  now  and  then. 
Let  one  take  the  responsibility  and  save  the  others." 

197 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  but  how  ?"  demanded  Raymond,  cautiously, 
afraid  to  approve  any  plan  that  might  imperil  him- 
self. 

"It's  a  gamble,  and  I'm  on!"  grinned  Tooker. 
"Well,  which  one  is — is  the  best  qualified?" 

"They'd  never  believe  that  I "  said  Raymond 

quickly. 

"We'll  draw  lots,"  suggested  Tooker. 

"Anything  you  say,"  said  Wilbur. 

"The  lowest  card  in  the  pack,"  suggested  Ray- 
mond. 

"The  first  Jack,"  cried  Tooker. 

"Come,  what  shall  it  be?"  inquired  Wilbur  im- 
patiently. 

"It  makes  no  difference,"  said  Tooker. 

"How  can  it  be  done?"  objected  Raymond;  "in- 
vestigation will  show  that  all  of  us  are  equally  re- 
sponsible." 

Quickly  Wilbur  interrupted: 

"Not  if   I "     He   stopped   short  and  more 

quietly  he  added:     "But  we'll  decide  that  after- 
wards.    Come,  do  you  agree,  Tooker?" 

"I'll  take  a  chance,"  replied  the  director,  with  a 
wry  face. 

198 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Raymond  ?" 

"Yes,"  he  drawled  slowly.  More  quickly  he 
added :  "But  I  don't  want  to  be  the  victim." 

"Neither  do  I,"  said  Tooker,  "but  if  I  lose— I'll 
— I'll  make  good — life's  a  gamble,  anyhow." 

"Cowper?"  called  out  Wilbur. 

Cowper  nodded  assent. 

"I  agree,"  said  Mr.  Emerson  quietly. 

"Go  ahead,"  growled  Tooker;  "the  first  Jack 
deals — I  mean  loses " 

"The  first  Jack,"  said  Wilbur  firmly.  "Is  that 
understood?  The  man  who  gets  it  will  assume 
sole  responsibility." 


i  QQ 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  nervous  tension  grew  more  acute  every 
moment.     In  the  air  was  a  sense  of  im- 
pending   danger    that    sobered    everyone. 
Even  the  irrepressible  looker  was  impressed  by 
the  solemnity  of  the  proceedings,  while  Raymond 
sat  motionless,  a  comical  picture  of  abject  cow- 
ardice.    Cowper  sat  apart,  his  eyes  .averted.     Mr. 
Emerson,  patient  and  resigned,  waited  to  know  his 
fate. 

Wilbur,  his  face  set  and  determined,  alone  real- 
ized the  true  significance  of  this  dramatic  situation. 
He  was  fighting  now,  not  to  save  himself,  but  to 
save  his  father.  Some  one  must  bear  the  blame, 
some  one  must  take  the  punishment — that  was  very 
evident.  These  men — Tooker,  Raymond,  Cowper, 
were  all  cowards.  He  could  expect  little  help  from 
them.  They  had  been  willing  to  divide  the  profits, 
but  when  it  came  to  sharing  the  risks  they  were 
less  enthusiastic.  Yet,  after  all,  he  could  not  blame 
anybody  but  himself.  He  had  been  the  leader  in 
the  reorganization ;  he  must  pay  the  price.  But  his 

200 


THE    GAMBLERS 


father  must  be  spared  at  all  costs.    Grimly  he  said : 

"Shuffle  the  cards,  looker." 

The  director  picked  up  the  deck  and  began  to 
shuffle  carefully.  All  watched  him  in  breathless 
silence. 

When  he  had  mixed  the  cards  thoroughly,  Wilbur 
made  a  gesture  and  said,  in  a  low  tone : 

"Deal  them." 

Tooker  looked  tip,  a  comical  expression  on  his 
face.  The  fear  that  he  might  deal  himself  the  fatal 
card  was  so  apparent  that,  under  any  other  circum- 
stances, every  one  would  have  laughed  outright. 
But  each  man  was  too  much  absorbed  in  his  own 
troubles  to  take  notice.  Tooker  started  to  give 
cards,  then  stopped  and  laid  the  pack  down.  With 
a  forced  laugh  he  said: 

"Gee,  my  hands  are  trembling!  Damned  if  I 
don't  think  I'm  nervous!  Here,  you  deal  them!" 

Quickly  Wilbur  picked  up  the  deck  and,  ignor- 
ing his  father,  swiftly  dealt  four  cards,  face  up- 
wards. 

"Eight,  four,  queen,  nine!"  cried  Raymond,  as 
the  cards  were  turned  over. 

"One  moment!"  interrupted  Mr.  Emersom,  put- 
201 


THE    GAMBLERS 


ting  out  his  hand  in  protest.     "Where's  my  card, 
Wilbur?" 

"You're  not  in  this  game,  father,"  said  Wilbur. 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  persisted  the  old  man,  "I 
am  one  of  you!" 

Wilbur  shook  his  head  decisively. 

"No,  no;  we  can't  allow  it." 

"But  I  insist,"  said  Mr.  Emerson  firmly.  "I  have 
shared  the  profits.  I  will  share  the  losses.  At 
least,  I  shall  preserve  my  self-respect.  A  card, 
please." 

Wilbur  hesitated. 

"But " 

"I  insist,"  repeated  Mr.  Emerson.  "To  leave  me 
out  would  be  an  injustice  to  the  others  and  an  in- 
sult to  me." 

Wilbur  hastily  gathered  up  the  cards  and  passed 
them  to  Tooker.  Quickly  he  said : 

"You  deal  them,  Tooker." 

With  a  grimace,  the  director  took  the  pack  and 
slowly,  deliberately  began  to  give  a  card  to  each 
man,  starting  with  himself.  As  he  faced  each  card, 
amid  the  breathless  suspense  of  the  others,  he  an- 
nounced loudly: 

202 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Tooker,  deuce;  Cowper,  king;  Raymond, 
four " 

He  stopped  and  gave  vent  to  a  sigh  of  relief. 
Neither  himself,  nor  Cowper,  nor  Raymond  was 
the  victim.  With  a  complacent  chuckle  he  ex- 
claimed: "Where  are  all  the  Jacks?"  Dealing 
more  quickly  he  uncovered  two  more.  "Mr.  Em- 
erson, Jack;  Wilbur,  ten " 

"My  God!"  exclaimed  Raymond  in  a  low  tone. 
"Mr.  Emerson  has  got  it — Jack  of  spades!" 

Wilbur  sprang  to  his  feet  and  grabbed  his  fa- 
ther's card  before  the  old  banker  saw  it.  With  af- 
fected anger,  he  exclaimed: 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Tooker?  Don't 
you  know  how  to  deal  straight?  That's  my  card! 
Can't  you  deal  one  at  a  time?"  Throwing  down 
the  ten  of  hearts,  he  added :  "That's  his  card — ten 
of  hearts." 

"Nonsense!"  protested  Raymond.  "It  was  all 
right." 

"It  was  not  all  right,"  retorted  Wilbur.  "Do  you 
suppose  I  don't  know  what  I'm  saying?"  Throw- 
ing the  cards  on  the  floor,  he  cried:  "The  game 
is  closed !" 

203 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Going  to  the  sideboard,  so  that  his  associates 
might  not  see  how  white  his  face  had  suddenly 
turned,  he  poured  out  a  glass  of  sherry  with  trem- 
bling hand.  He  was  the  victim.  Well,  what  of 
it?  That  was  only  right.  He  had  got  the  bank 
into  all  this  trouble.  It  was  only  just  that  he  pay 
the  price.  But  who  among  them  had  played  the 
traitor?  Who  had  abstracted  the  genuine  notes 
and  substituted  false  ones?  What  had  become 
of  the  genuine  notes — the  only  tangible  evidence 
against  them  ?  Only  one  could  have  done  the  dirty 
trick,  only  one  was  capable  of  acting  this  despicable 
role  of  Judas,  and  that  was  Cowper.  His  actions, 
his  look,  his  manner,  betrayed  him.  He  was  the 
guilty  one. 

For  a  few  moments  Wilbur  stood  silently  apart, 
thinking  what  to  do.  How  could  he  handle  the 
cur — accuse  him  to  his  face,  force  him  to  admit  his 
guilt,  make  him  confess  what  he  had  done  with  the 
notes?  Yes,  that  he  could  do,  but  he  must  await 
his  opportunity.  He  must  get  him  alone,  in  a  cor- 
ner, or  he  might  escape.  Raising  the  glass  of  wine 
to  his  lips,  his  eyes  still  fixed  on  Cowper's  face,  he 
cried  with  forced  carelessness: 

204 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"The  medicine  is  mine,  boys!  Now,  let's  talk 
about  something  else  for  a  few  minutes.  Mr. 
Tooker,  I  apologize  for  my  disrespectful  attitude 
just  now,  but  I  look  on  myself  as  a  sort  of  an 
expert  at  cards,  and  I'm  stupidly  sensitive  about  it 
— cheap  vanity  on  my  part.  Have  a  drink,  old 
man?" 

"That's  all  right,  Wilbur,"  said  Raymond,  deeply 
moved.  The  man  was  not  so  hardened,  not  so 
utterly  egotistical  as  not  to  be  touched  by  this  devo- 
tion, this  self-sacrifice  of  a  son  to  protect  his  father. 

"Say  when,"  laughed  Wilbur,  filling  his  glass. 

"I  don't  drink  spirits,"  said  Raymond,  "but  I 
think  I  will  take  one  now  to  settle  my  nerves.  What 
will  you  have,  Tooker?" 

"Nothing— yes— a  little  White  Rock." 

"Good  God!"  exclaimed  Raymond,  in  mock 
despair.  "What's  happened  to  you?  Such  an  or- 
der is  unheard  of." 

"I  want  to  keep  my  head  clear,"  growled  Tooker. 
"I'm  sorry,  old  man." 

"What  will  you  have,  Cowper?"  said  Wilbur 
carelessly.  Holding  out  a  glass,  he  added :  "Come, 

I  want  you  all  to  drink  to  my — my  success " 

205 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Cowper  advanced,  white  and  trembling.  Hoarsely 
he  said: 

"A  little  rye— straight." 

Nervously  he  snatched  the  glass  handed  to  him 
and  swallowed  it  at  a  gulp.  Wilbur  turned  to  the 
others.  Quietly  he  said: 

"Now,  I  want  to  be  alone,  boys;  I  must  think 
this  out.  Nine  o'clock  to-morrow  morning  we  will 
meet  here  to  discuss  what  course  to  pursue.  By 
that  time  I  shall  have  hit  on  a  plan  that  will  fix  the 
entire  responsibility  on  one  person." 

Mr.  Emerson  turned  to  his  son.  With  consider- 
able feeling  he  said: 

"Wilbur,  my  boy,  I — I  feel  that  I  am  shirking 
my  duty." 

"Nonsense,  dad.  Everything  will  be  all  right," 
said  Wilbur  quickly.  "If  I  only  had  the  notes  we 
endorsed,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter." 

While  he  was  speaking,  Cowper  quickly  left  his 
seat  and  glided  noiselessly  in  the  direction  of  the 
door.  Wilbur  saw  him  and  stopped  him  with  a 
gesture. 

"Oh,  don't  go,  Cowper,  old  man ;  I  want  to  speak 
to  you." 

206 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Cowper  halted,  nervous  and  ill  at  ease. 

"I  have  an  engagement,"  he  stammered. 

"I  won't  keep  you  a  moment,"  said  Wilbur  firmly, 
looker  shook  Wilbur's  hand.  With  an  attempt  at 
sympathy  he  said : 

"I'm  sorry  it's  you,  but  I'm  glad  it's  not  me." 

"It  was  your  own  idea,"  sniffed  Raymond. 

"Really,"  protested  Mr.  Emerson.  "I  can't  bring 
myself  to  approve  of  this " 

"Come,  come,  gentlemen!"  exclaimed  Wilbur, 
"the  fortune  of  war.  Don't  worry  about  me,  please. 
Good  night,  Mr.  Tooker;  don't  forget  nine  o'clock 
sharp.  Good  night,  Mr.  Raymond." 

"Good  night,"  said  the  directors. 

Tooker  turned  round  at  the  door.  Gripping  Wil- 
bur's hand  warmly  he  said  with  feeling: 

"Good  night,  old  man;  say,  that  was  no  mis- 
deal. I  saw  what  you  did.  You're  a  noble  fel- 
low  " 

Wilbur  grasped  his  father's  hand. 

"Dad,  will  you  tell  Isabel  I  shan't  see  her  again 
to-night  ?  Make  any  excuse,  and  good  night.  You 
can  go  to  sleep  knowing  that  everything  will  be 
all  right." 

207 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Mr.  Emerson  shook  his  head.     Sadly  he  said: 

"No,  my  boy,  I  shan't  sleep  until  I  know  that 
you're  all  right." 

"Good  night,"  said  Wilbur  cheerily. 

The  old  banker  silently  pressed  his  son's  hand 
and  left  the  room.  Cowper,  who  was  standing  by, 
impatiently  waiting  his  opportunity  to  get  away, 
tried  to  follow,  but  before  he  could  make  a  move 
Wilbur  had  closed  the  door  and  locked  it. 

"Really,  Wilbur,  old  man,"  he  protested,  "I  must 
be  going." 

Wilbur  merely  looked  at  him. 

"No — not  yet,  George,"  he  said  slowly.  "Sit 
down  a  minute.  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

Scenting  trouble,  the  director  tried  to  bluff  it  out. 

"Why  did  you  lock  that  door?"  he  demanded. 

"1  don't  want  to  be  interrupted,  that's  why,"  re- 
joined Wilbur  curtly. 

"Can't  I  see  you  in  the  morning?"  said  Cowper, 
still  edging  nervously  towards  the  exit. 

"Yes,  but  I've  one  or  two  questions  I  want  to 
ask  you  to-night." 

"Well,  please  be  brief." 

Wilbur  looked  at  him  closely. 
208 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I'll  be  as  brief  as  possible,  George." 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  neither  man 
spoke.  Each  stood  looking  at  the  other.  Finally 
Wilbur  said: 

"George,  do  you  love  your  mother?" 

Cowper  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  demanded. 

"Silly  question,  isn't  it?"  said  Wilbur.  "Every- 
one loves  his  mother.  Well,  mine  died  when  I  was 
a  boy,  and  John  Emerson  took  her  place  in  my 
heart.  I  love  him  like  a  mother  and  a  father  rolled 
into  one.  You  see  what  kind  of  a  man  he  is — never 
murmurs  when  he  found  that  his  faith  in  me  had 
resulted  in  his  being  threatened  with  prison.  I'd 
go  to  hell  for  him,  George  Cowper — and  I'll  send 
the  man  there  that  betrayed  him!" 

Cowper  averted  his  face.     Nervously  he  said: 

"I  quite  approve  of  your  attitude,  but  what  has 
that  to  do  with  me?" 

Wilbur  advanced  until  he  looked  him  straight  in 
the  face. 

"To-morrow,"  he  continued,  "those  notes  would 
have  been  redeemed.  I  have  the  money — every  dol- 
lar. I  begged  on  my  knees  from  one  end  of  Wall 

209 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Street  to  the  other.  I  groveled  in  the  mud  till  I  got 
it,  but  I  got  it — and  the  victory  was  won — but  now 
— now — can't  you  supply  the  rest?" 

"I ?"  stammered  Cowper,  quailing  before  the 

coming  storm. 

Wilbur's  eyes  flashed  with  mingled  rage  and 
scorn  as  he  cried : 

"A  traitor,  a  damned  traitor,  has  robbed  us  of 
the  chance  of  redeeming  ourselves!"  Suddenly 
changing  his  tone,  he  said  contemptuously :  "What 
was  the  price,  George?  Come — be  a  man — own 
up.  What  was  the  price?" 

Cowper  rose  from  his  seat. 

"I've  had  enough  of  this,"  he  said  with  affected 
anger. 

"What  was  the  price?"  repeated  Wilbur,  his 
face  white  with  rage.  "I  want  to  know,  George, 
and  you  can't  leave  this  room  till  I  do!" 

Advancing,  his  fist  raised,  he  looked  as  though 
he  would  strike  the  wretched  man  to  the  floor. 
Cowper  cowered  before  him  and  instinctively  put 
his  hand  on  his  hip  pocket. 

"Don't  touch  me!"  he  cried  threateningly.  "I 

warn  you  I'm  armed  and  I  shall  defend  myself " 

210 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Oh,  so  you  carry  a  gun,  eh?"  said  Wilbur 
scornfully. 

"I  certainly  do,"  said  Cowper,  "and " 

"Well,  I  don't,"  cried  Wilbur,  "and— I  don't  ap- 
prove of  it  in  others." 

With  a  sudden,  quick  movement  he  seized  the  di- 
rector round  the  body  and  pinned  his  arms  close 
to  his  sides.  Then,  still  holding  him  in  a  vise-like 
grip,  he  slipped  a  hand  in  his  pocket  and  drew  out 
a  revolver.  Pointing  the  dangerous,  glittering 
weapon  at  its  late  owner,  he  said  grimly : 

"A  bad  habit,  this,  George.  It  gives  a  man  a  false 
sense  of  honor." 

"What!''  gasped  Cowper,  terror-stricken.  "You 
mean — you'll  use  it?" 

"Why  not  ?"  was  the  deliberate  reply.  "It's  your 
property.  You'll  be  held  responsible  if  anybody's 
injured.  Come — where  are  those  notes?  What 
have  you  done  with  them?" 

Cowper,  in  despair,  crouched  lower  on  the  chair. 
In  agonized  voice  he  muttered : 

"I  swear  I — haven't  got  them." 

"What  did  you  do  with  them?"  demanded  Wil- 
bur sternly. 

211 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Oh,  Wilbur,"  pleaded  the  wretched  man,  "don't 
be  angry — don't — I  couldn't  help  it — I — Emerson, 
I  give  you  my  word  I  wouldn't  have  done  it  if " 

With  a  gesture  of  contempt,  Wilbur  threw  the 
revolver  on  the  table. 

"Here,"  he  said,  "stick  that  in  your  pocket.  Tell 
me  about  it — and  mind  you,  George,  one  lie  and 
I'll  take  that  pistol  away  from  you  again  and  use 
it.  Out  with  it  now !" 

Utterly  cowed,  on  the  verge  of  collapse  from  ab- 
ject fear  and  humiliation,  the  man  stammered  in 
broken  sentences: 

"I  was  promised  my  freedom  if  I  turned  State's 

evidence — they  kept  at  me  till  I  promised  to  help 

to. 

them."  Growing  more  and  more  hysterical,  he 
went  on:  "The  fear — the  fear  of  this  investiga- 
tion has  been  hanging  over  me  like  a  pall — it  dead- 
ened my  sense  of  what  I  owe  my  partners.  You 
know,  I'm  engaged  to  be  married,  and — and — I'm 
very  fond  of  Gladys.  She — she — loves  me,  and 

I "  he  stopped  and  burst  into  tears,  sobbing. 

"She  has  no  idea  what  I've  done.     We're  going  to 

be  married  next  month " 

Wilbur's  face  relaxed.     Much  as  he  despised  the 
212 


THE    GAMBLERS 


man  who  had  not  hesitated  to  sell  his  companions, 
he  was  willing  to  concede  that  perhaps  he  had  been 
a  bit  harsh.  The  fellow  seemed  sorry  and  contrite 
enough.  We  can  all  make  mistakes,  he  thought  to 
himself.  Besides,  in  this  case  there  was  a  reason. 
He  was  going  to  be  married.  He  wanted  to  shield 
the  girl  he  loved.  Ah,  he  could  sympathize  with 
him  there.  What  would  he  himself  not  have  done 
for  the  girl  he  loved  ?  More  gently  he  said : 

"Is  that  so?    Going  to  be  married,  eh?" 

Cowper  completely  broke  down. 

"Never  mind,  old  man,  don't  give  way — I 
understand — you  thought  of  her — I  suppose — 
and  not  of  us.  Well,  some  men  are  built  that  way 
— I  don't  think  you'd  have  done  it  if  you  had  real- 
ized  " 

"I  wouldn't — I  wouldn't,"  said  Cowper  fervently. 
"God's  truth,  I  wouldn't." 

"All  right,  old  man,"  said  Wilbur  more  kindly 
"I'm  sorry  I  was  brutal,  but — just  tell  me — what 
happened?  Let  me  know  what  we're  up  against. 
Give  us  a  chance,  too." 

"Yes,  I  will,"  said  Cowper  eagerly,  glad  to  be 
given  any  opportunity  to  redeem  himself. 

213 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Who  made  the  deal  with  you?"  demanded 
Wilbur. 

"One  of  Mr.  Darwin's  agents." 

"Yes,"  said  Wilbur  bitterly,  "that's  the  way  he 
works — strikes  at  the  weakest  link  in  the  chain. 
Have  you  seen  Darwin  personally?" 

"Yes— once." 

"When  did  you  give  him  the  notes  ?" 

"I  was  to  see  him  this  evening  at  his  house,  but 
he  was  out.  I  left  them  there  for  him — with — my 
— with  what  he  asked  me  for." 

"Oh,  something  besides  the  notes  ?  What  was  it  ?" 

"I've  said  enough — I've  told  you." 

"I  want  to  know  all,"  insisted  Wilbur. 

"A  statement  —  an  affidavit  —  giving  a  detailed 
account  of  all  the  most  important  transactions." 

"Did  that  detailed  account  involve  my  father?" 
demanded  Wilbur  quickly. 

Cowper  hesitated. 

"Come,"  said  Wilbur  impatiently.  "I  want  to 
know  the  worst." 

Cowper  bowed  his  head. 

"Yes — oh,  I'm  so  sorry — so  sorry!" 

"Oh,  God!"  cried  Wilbur  in  agony. 
214 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Pacing  the  floor,  he  clasped  his  hands  in  mute 
despair. 

"Cowper,  why  did  you  do  it?  I  could  have  for- 
given you  the  other,  but  that — that's  infamous! 
Didn't  you  know  that  father  left  everything  with 
me?  Couldn't  you  have  spared  him?" 

"I  wish  to  God  I  had!"  cried  Cowper.  "I  shall 
never  be  happy  again.  It's  too  late  now — I  didn't 
realize — I  thought  that  Mr.  Emerson,  being  an  old 
friend  of  Mr.  Darwin's,  would  not  be  brought 
prominently  into  the  case." 

"You  don't  know  Darwin,"  answered  Wilbur  bit- 
terly. "He'll  make  political  capital  out  of  it.  He'll 
say  in  his  magazine  articles:  'I  don't  spare 
my  own  dearest  friends  when  they  sin  against  the 
State.  That's  the  kind  of  righteousness  this  coun- 
try needs — statesmen — upright  and  holy,  like  me!' 
Oh! — I'd  have  given  my  right  hand  if  you  hadn't 
done  that." 

"I  wish  I  hadn't— I  wish  I  hadn't!"  cried  the 
wretched  man. 

Utterly  baffled,  at  a  loss  to  know  what  to  do  to 
save  the  situation,  Wilbur  relapsed  into  silence.  He 
was  thinking  hard.  For  a  few  moments  neither 

215 


THH    GAMBLERS 


man  stirred.  Perhaps  something  might  yet  be 
done.  If  so,  it  must  be  done  quickly.  Those  notes 
must  be  recovered  at  any  price.  Turning  sud- 
denly on  Cowper,  he  asked  hastily : 

"What  time  did  you  leave  it  there?" 

"About  eight  o'clock  to-night.  The  servant  told 
me  he  had  gone — or  was  going — to  Washington; 
that  he  was  not  expected  home  till  to-morrow." 

"Not  expected  till  to-morrow?"  cried  Wilbur. 
"Then  he  hasn't  received  it."  Eagerly  he  went  on : 
"George,  do  you  think  you  could  get  it  back? 
Couldn't  you  make  some  excuse  to  go  there  and 
ask  for  it?  It's  up  to  you  to  put  this  thing  right!" 

Cowper  shook  his  head  and  looked  helplessly 
at  his  interlocutor. 

"How — can — I — how  ?     Suppose  ?' ' 

Wilbur  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
Then  slowly  he  said : 

"No,  you're  not  the  kind  of  man  to  do  that  sort 
of  thing."  Then  suddenly  he  went  on:  "Couldn't 
I — Cowper — couldn't  I — on  some  pretext  or  other 
get  that  sworn  statement?  I  can  assume  the  re- 
sponsibility for  the  notes  myself.  What  sort  of  a 

package  is  it?  I  may  be  asked  to  describe  it " 

216 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"It's  a  blue  envelope,  ordinary  legal-size." 

"To  whom  did  you  give  it?" 

"A  servant — a  woman.  She  put  it  on  his  desk 
in  the  library." 

"In  the  library!"  exclaimed  Wilbur  eagerly. 
Looking  at  his  watch,  he  went  on :  "It's  now  eleven 
o'clock.  Cowper,  can  I  trust  you?  Will  you  re- 
main silent?" 

"Yes — oh,  you  can  believe  me!" 

"Very  well.    Then  remain  here  till  I  come  back." 

"Yes.     What  are  you  going  to  do?" 

Picking  the  revolver  up  from  the  table,  Wilbur 
slipped  it  in  his  pocket.  Determinedly  he  said: 

"I'm  going  to  get  that  sworn  statement — either 
that,  or " 

"Or  what?"  cried  Cowper. 

"How  can  I  tell?"  replied  Wilbur,  with  a  signif- 
icant shrug  of  his  shoulders. 

Opening  the  door  leading  to  the  stairs,  he  took  a 
long  automobile  duster  and  cap  from  a  hook,  and 
hastily  put  them  on. 

"Are  you  going  there  now?"  demanded  Cowper, 
awed  by  the  very  audacity  of  the  project. 

"Right  now,"  rejoined  Wilbur  calmly,  as  he  put 
217 


THE    GAMBLERS 


on  his  coat.  "You  go  back  and  join  the  others.  If 
I'm  missed,  make  some  excuse.  Say  anything.  I'll 
get  those  notes  or " 

"Or  what?"  repeated  Cowper. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Wilbur. 

The  next  minute  he  was  gone. 


218 


CHAPTER  XIV 

RIVERSIDE  DRIVE  this  wild,  tempestuous 
night  was  entirely  deserted.  Not  a  pedes- 
trian, not  even  a  solitary  vehicle  was  to 
be  seen.  The  westerly  storm,  which  had  been  bois- 
terous all  day,  had  increased  in  violence  until  now 
it  blew  with  the  force  of  a  half  gale.  The  rain  was 
coming  down  in  sheets,  and  the  wind,  sweeping 
across  the  broad  Hudson,  where  it  had  an  unob- 
structed path,  burst  on  the  handsome  residences 
facing  the  Drive  with  all  the  fury  of  a  cyclone,  rat- 
tling the  window  sashes  and  moaning  dismally 
down  the  chimneys. 

The  Darwin  home,  situated  at  the  corner  and  so 
particularly  exposed  to  the  weather,  caught  the  full 
brunt  of  the  hurricane.  The  house  fairly  shook 
before  the  successive  blasts. and  the  din  made  by 
the  angry  elements  was  so  unnerving  that  the  in- 
mates had  been  intimidated  from  going  to  bed. 
Eleven  o'clock,  Kathryn's  usual  retiring  hour,  had 
struck  long  ago,  yet  she  was  still  up.  The  storm 

219 


THE    GAMBLERS 


had  made  her  nervous,  and  instead  of  retiring  to 
her  boudoir,  as  was  her  custom,  she  sat  in  the  big 
bay  window  of  the  library  watching  the  downpour. 
The  avenue,  flooded  by  the  deluge  and  strewn  with 
branches  torn  from  the  trees  by  the  tempest's  fury, 
looked  like  a  howling  wilderness.  The  weather  had 
driven  every  one  indoors.  Not  a  voice,  not  a 
sound  was  heard  to  relieve  the  stillness — nothing 
but  the  monotonous  drip,  drip  of  water  and  the 
mournful  shrieking  of  the  wind. 

Mr.  Darwin  had  left  for  Washington  an  hour 
before,  and  Kathryn  was  all  alone  in  that  big  house, 
with  one  maid.  She  wished  she  could  shake  off  that 
feeling  of  nervousness,  but  it  was  impossible.  Of 
course,  urgent  business  had  taken  her  husband 
away,  but  she  could  not  help  nourishing  a  feeling  of 
resentment  that  he  should  leave  her  thus  unpro- 
tected. There  had  been  a  great  many  burglaries 
lately.  Suppose  the  house  had  been  watched  and 
it  was  known  that  she  was  alone!  She  was  glad 
when,  every  now  and  then,  she  caught  sight  of  a 
solitary  policeman  trudging  along  on  his  beat,  bent 
almost  double  as  he  forced  his  way  against  the 
wind.  It  made  her  feel  more  comfortable.  Of 

220 


THE    GAMBLERS 


course,  it  was  silly  to  be  nervous.  Had  she  not  the 
telephone  with  which  to  summon  assistance  in  case 
of  danger?  Yet,  no  matter  how  much  she  assured 
herself,  she  still  felt  horribly  depressed  and  out  of 
sorts. 

Firstly,  she  was  irritated  against  her  husband. 
Since  the  weather  had  turned  so  bad,  it  was  just 
as  well  that  she  returned  early  from  the  Emer- 
sons,  but  Jim's  behavior  at  her  friends'  house  was 
quite  inexcusable.  He  would  have  to  explain  that. 
When  he  returned  from  Washington  she  would 
have  a  thorough  understanding  with  him.  These 
constant  bickerings  and  disputes  could  not  go  on. 
He  was  making  her  life  perfectly  miserable. 

Sometimes  she  asked  if  she  had  not  made  a 
mistake,  if  she  had  not  sacrificed  herself  in  marry- 
ing a  man  who  was  brilliant  rather  than  sympa- 
thetic, and  thrown  away  the  happiness  that  she 
might  have  had  as  the  wife  of  another.  She  won- 
dered why  she  had  not  met  Wilbur  Emerson  at  the 
dance.  Isabel  had  said  he  would  be  there.  It  was 
months  since  she  had  seen  him,  and  nearly  three 
years  had  passed  since  that  night  when  he  had 
clasped  her  in  his  arms  and  asked  her  to  be  his 

221 


THE    GAMBLERS 


wife.  Still  she  remembered  that  kiss,  yet  in  these 
three  years  she  had  ever  been  a  faithful,  dutiful 
wife  to  Jim.  He  certainly  had  no  cause  to  com- 
plain. She  had  tried  to  dismiss  Wilbur  entirely 
from  her  mind,  to  forget  him  completely,  but 
sometimes  she  found  it  impossible.  The  memory 
of  that  embrace  would  never  fade  while  life  lasted. 

The  chimes  of  a  neighboring  church  clock  struck 
half -past  eleven.  It  was  still  pouring,  and  the  wind 
howled  as  if  all  the  demons  in  the  infernal  regions 
had  been  let  loose.  It  was  certainly  time  for  bed. 
Kathryn  yawned  and  rose  from  her  seat.  She  was 
about  to  call  her  maid,  when  suddenly  the  telephone 
rang.  Lifting  the  instrument  up  from  the  desk, 
littered  with  a  mass  of  legal  papers,  she  spoke  into 
the  sender: 

"Hello?  Oh,  is  that  you,  Isabel?  Yes,  it's  Kate 
— I'm  so  glad  you  called  me  up.  I'm  terribly  lonely. 
Company  of  your  own?  I  should  say  so,  but  don't 
begrudge  me  five  minutes — two  minutes!  Well,  a 
minute,  then.  Yes,  I'm  going  to  have  it  out  with 
you.  I  won't  go  on  like  this.  No,  I've  made  up 
my  mind.  Oh,  it's  worse  than  that!  Everything  I 
do  is  wrong — everything  I  don't  do  is  wrong — the 

222 


THE    GAMBLERS 


whole  world  is  wrong,  and  he's  the  only  one  that 
is  right.  Isn't  that  a  comfy  hubby  to  have  around  ? 
— it  puts  one  on  such  good  terms  with  them- 
selves  " 

She  stopped  suddenly  and  listened.  A  ring  at 
the  front  door  downstairs  had  attracted  her  atten- 
tion. Who  could  it  be  at  such  an  hour  and  in  such 
weather?  Putting  the  receiver  to  her  ear  again, 
she  went  on: 

"Oh,  don't  ring  off.  Can  you  come  to  lunch  to- 
morrow? Going  with  your  brother?  Well,  take 
me  with  you.  I  don't  care  what  Mr.  Darwin  says. 
Yes.  Oh,  a  quarrel  more  or  less  doesn't  mat- 
ter  " 

The  door  of  the  library  opened  and  Jane  ap- 
peared. Without  relinquishing  the  receiver,  Kate 
looked  up  questioningly.  The  maid  had  a  worried 
look  and  stood  waiting  for  her  mistress  to  stop 
talking.  Kathryn  hastened  to  cut  the  telephone 
chat  short. 

"Well,  I'll  let  you  go  now.  Good  night!  Hallo! 
— hallo! — I'm  coming  over  to-morrow."  With  a 
careless  laugh  she  added:  "Oh,  I  don't  care — I'm 
reckless  now.  Good  night!" 

223 


THE    GAMBLERS 


She  hung  up  the  receiver  and  looked  up. 

"Well,  what  is  it,  Jane?" 

"Some  one's  called,"  said  the  girl.  "A  man  to 
see  Mr.  Darwin." 

"So  late?"  exclaimed  her  mistress.  "Didn't  you 
tell  him  Mr.  Darwin  was  out?" 

"Yes,  ma'am — then  he  asked  if  he  could  see 
you " 

"See  me !"  echoed  Kathryn  in  amazement.  "Did 
he  give  you  a  card?  Who  is  he?" 

"No,  ma'am;  he  looks  like  a  chauffeur." 

"Say  that  Mr.  Darwin  will  be  at  his  office  late 
to-morrrow,  and  ask  him  to  leave  a  message." 

Jane  was  about  to  retire  when  Kathryn  picked 
up  from  the  desk  a  long,  legal-size  blue  envelope. 
Holding  it  up  so  that  the  girl  could  see,  she  said : 

"Is  this  the  package  which  came  late  this  after- 
noon for  Mr.  Darwin?" 

"Yes,  ma'am." 

"Who  left  it?" 

"A  man  with  gray  hair.  He  seemed  very  nerv- 
ous and  in  a  hurry.  He  said  it  was  very  impor- 
tant, and  that  Mr.  Darwin  was  to  get  it  as  soon  as 
he  came  in." 

224 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Why  didn't  you  give  it  to  your  master  when 
he  got  home?" 

"I  forgot  it,  ma'am.  When  Mr.  Darwin  came  in 
he  seemed  so  upset  at  your  being  out  that  I  was 
afraid  to  tell  him  anything,  and  then  when  he  re- 
turned with  you  the  package  slipped  my  mind.  I 
hope  it's  not  too  late,  ma'am." 

"No,  no.  That's  all  right.  Jane.  I'll  give  it 
to  Mr.  Darwin  to-morrow  when  he  returns  from 
Washington.  Meantime  I'll  lock  it  up  in  the  safe. 
It  may  be  important.  Tell  the  person  downstairs 
that  Mr.  Darwin  is  in  Washington." 

"Yes,  ma'am." 

The  maid  left  the  room  and  closed  the  door. 
Kathryn  rose  with  a  yawn  and  glanced  at  the 
clock.  A  quarter  to  twelve?  It  was  high  time 
she  was  in  bed.  Who  ever  heard  of  people  calling 
at  that  hour?  Possibly  it  was  one  of  the  men  at- 
tached to  her  husband's  office.  There  had  been  a 
lot  of  mysterious  goings  and  comings  lately,  no 
doubt  in  connection  with  the  Emerson  Bank  in- 
vestigation. 

It  was  horrid  of  Jim  to  take  so  active  a  part  in 
the  prosecution  proceedings.  Of  course,  she  said 

225 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  herself,  the  law  must  take  its  course.  He  couldn't 
let  friendship  interfere  with  his  duty,  but  there  were 
different  ways  of  interpreting  one's  duty.  The  way 
that  her  husband  went  at  it  showed  personal  ani- 
mus. He  hated  Wilbur  Emerson,  and  would  take 
the  keenest  delight  in  trapping  him  in  some  tech- 
nical violation  of  the  law. 

With  a  sigh  she  crossed  the  room,  and  for  a 
moment  stood  in  front  of  the  mirror,  taking  off 
her  jewels.  She  unfastened  the  string  of  fine  pearls 
that  adorned  her  delicate  neck,  took  off  the  gold 
bracelet  that  encircled  her  beautiful  arm,  and  drew 
off  one  by  one  the  magnificent  rings  that  blazed  on 
her  white,  tapering  fingers.  She  had  not  many  jew- 
els, but  the  few  she  did  possess  had  considerable 
value,  and  she  neglected  no  precaution  to  ensure 
their  safety.  Each  night,  on  retiring,  she  placed 
them  in  a  safe  cleverly  concealed  in  a  handsome 
walnut  cabinet,  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  book- 
shelves behind  the  desk.  She  was  just  turning  the 
combination  preliminary  to  opening  the  safe  when, 
all  at  once,  Jane  reappeared. 

Kathryn  stopped  short  and  looked  up  inquir- 
ingly. 

226 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Well,  Jane,  what  did  he  say?" 

"He  wouldn't  give  any  message,  ma'am.  He 
says  he  wants  to  see  Mr.  Darwin  on  very  important 
business." 

"Where  is  he  now?" 

Kathryn  did  not  much  like  the  idea  of  this  late, 
mysterious  visitor. 

"Where  is  he  now?"  she  repeated  nervously. 

"I  left  him  downstairs  in  the  hall,  ma'am." 

"Alone,  in  the  hall?" 

Her  mistress's  nervousness  communicated  itself 
to  the  maid.  Apprehensively  she  said: 

"I  don't  much  like  his  looks,  ma'am.  He  acts 
queer.  I'm  afraid  to  go  down  again." 

Kathryn  was  about  to  chide  her  for  being  so 
foolish  when  suddenly  they  heard  the  front  door 
close  with  a  bang.  Both  women  started. 

"What  was  that?"  exclaimed  Kathryn. 

"It  sounded  like  the  front  door  closing.  Maybe 
he  got  impatient  and  went  away.  I'll  go  and 
see." 

She  left  the  room,  and  Kathryn  hurriedly  opened 
the  safe.  Pulling  out  a  drawer,  she  put  away  her 
jewels  and  then,  returning  to  the  desk,  picked  up 

227 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  long1,  legal-size  blue  envelope,  which  she  also 
put  in  the  safe.  This  done,  she  closed  the  door  and 
gave  the  knob  a  twist.  She  had  hardly  finished 
when  Jane  reappeared,  white  and  trembling. 

"He  must  have  gone,"  she  said,  with  a  scared 
look  in  her  eyes. 

"Gone!"  ejaculated  Kathryn.  "That's  strange! 
Are  you  sure  that  he — that  he  did  go  ?" 

The  maid  did  not  answer.  She  stood  perfectly 
still,  listening  intently  in  the  direction  of  the  stairs. 
Then,  quickly,  she  went  to  the  window  and  craned 
her  neck,  trying  to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  stoop. 

In  spite  of  her  efforts  to  remain  calm,  Kathryn 
felt  herself  growing  more  nervous  every  minute. 
Here  they  were,  two  wreak,  defenseless  women,  alone 
in  a  house  full  of  valuables.  Suppose  this  strange 
visitor  was  a  thief,  a  burglar,  who  had  merely  in- 
vented an  excuse  in  order  to  gain  admittance  to 
the  house.  Perhaps  he  had  only  banged  the  door 
as  a  feint.  Maybe,  he  was  hiding  somewhere  in 
the  darkness  downstairs.  All  this  ran  quickly 
through  her  mind  while  Jane  stood  at  the  window, 
pale  and  trembling. 

"Are  you  quite  sure  that  he  went  ?"  said  Kathryn. 
228 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Instead  of  answering,  the  girl  pointed  silently 
to  the  window. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  her  mistress. 

In  a  terrified  whisper  the  girl  said: 

"There  are  two  strange  men  out  in  the  street!" 

"Isn't  that  the  proper  place  for  strange  men?" 
laughed  Kathryn,  trying  to  make  light  of  it. 

"Yes,"  said  Jane,  "but  they  are  looking  in  at 
the  windows." 

"Nonsense,  Jane,"  said  Kathryn,  who  was  be- 
ginning to  feel  creepy  herself.  "You're  getting 
nervous.  Lock  up  and  go  to  bed." 

The  girl  came  back  into  the  rooms  and  tried  to 
smile.  With  a  sheepish  look,  she  cried: 

"Yes,  ma'am,  I  drank  three  cups  of  tea  to-night, 
but  that  doesn't  account  for  the  suspicious  way 
those  men  acted.  I'm  quite  sure  they  were  look- 
ing in." 

"Were  you  looking  out?" 

"Yes,  ma'am." 

"Well,  perhaps  that  explains  it." 

"Perhaps,"  replied  Jane  ingenuously,  not  under- 
standing the  jest. 

"If  you  go  on,  Jane,"  laughed  her  mistress, 
229 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"you'll  succeed  in  making  me  as  nervous  as  you 
are.  You  know  that  sort  of  thing  is  very  catching. 
I  thought  it  better  to  put  the  blue  envelope  which 
came  for  Mr.  Darwin  in  the  safe.  If  he  asks  for 
it  to-morrow  you  can  tell  him." 

"Yes,  ma'am." 

Kathryn  glanced  at  the  clock. 

"Gracious!  Five  minutes  to  twelve.  I  suppose 
cook  is  in  bed." 

"Sound  asleep  an  hour  ago,  ma'am.  My,  but 
she  can  sleep!  How  she  does  it  I  don't  know." 

"It's  a  lack  of  imagination,"  smiled  her  mistress. 
"Well,  I  envy  her.  You'd  better  go  yourself,  Jane. 
Good  night.  I'll  put  the  lights  out." 

"Thank  you,  ma'am.    Good  night,  ma'am." 

Putting  out  two  side  lights,  the  maid  left  the 
room. 

Kathryn  stood  for  a  few  moments  listening.  She 
heard  the  girl  downstairs  shutting  doors.  Then 
presently,  as  Jane  came  up,  passed  by  on  her  way 
to  bed,  she  inquired: 

"Is  everything  all  right?" 

"Yes,  ma'am,  everything's  locked  up." 

"Well,  good  night,  Jane." 
230 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Good  night,  ma'am." 

Kathryn  came  into  the  library  and,  shutting  the 
door,  turned  out  the  lights,  leaving  the  room  in 
complete  darkness,  except  for  the  ruddy  glow  given 
out  by  the  dying  embers  in  the  grate.  Then,  going 
to  the  door  communicating  with  her  own  bedroom, 
she  opened  it.  At  that  moment  she  fancied  she 
heard  a  creak  on  the  landing  outside.  For  a  sec- 
ond her  heart  leaped  up  into  her  throat  and  then 
began  thumping  furiously.  Quickly  she  turned  on 
the  electric  switch,  and  opening  cautiously  the  door 
leading  to  the  landing,  looked  out.  Seeing  nothing, 
she  stood  still  for  a  few  moments,  listening  intently. 
There  was  not  a  sound.  All  was  quiet.  Convinced 
she  was  mistaken,  she  shut  the  door  and  wtent  into 
her  own  room,  closing  the  door  after  her. 


231 


CHAPTER  XV 

THE  library,  now  plunged  in  utter  darkness, 
took  on  a  new  and  terrifying  aspect.  The 
faint  glimmer  of  the  expiring  hearth  em- 
bers only  served  to  intensify  the  almost  opaque 
blackness,  causing  each  object,  each  piece  of  furni- 
ture, each  curio  to  appear  of  colossal  proportions 
and  fantastic  shape.  The  room  was  full  of  bizarre 
forms  and  dancing  shadows.  The  bronze  bust  of 
Lincoln  stood  out  in  awesome  relief,  a  gaunt,  cyn- 
ical mask  in  which  at  moments  the  eyes  seemed  to 
flash  as  though  it  covered  a  living  head.  The  stal- 
wart figure  in  medieval  armor,  with  visor  closed, 
appeared  to  actually  move,  as  if  about  to  descend 
from  his  pedestal  with  threatening  and  murderous 
intent.  Not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  but  the  mourn- 
ful dirge  of  the  wind  and  the  savage  beating  of 
the  rain  against  the  window  panes. 

Suddenly  a  flash  of  white  light  leaped  through 
the  room.  Had  a  woman  been  there  it  would  have 
startled  her  badly.  A  man  with  a  mind  trained  to 

232 


THH    GAMBLERS 


seek  cause  from  effect  might  have  concluded  that 
it  was  caused  by  a  passing  automobile's  searchlight 
and  troubled  himself  no  further.  But  in  this  case 
the  man's  cold  reasoning  would  have  been  wrong 
and  the  woman's  instinct  right.  The  light  came 
again,  and  the  true  cause  was  enough  to  create 
alarm  in  the  boldest.  It  flashed  up  and  down,  pene- 
trating into  every  corner,  under  the  chairs,  on  top 
of  the  desk,  under  the  bookshelves,  until  finally  it 
rested  on  the  closed  door  of  Kathryn's  bedchamber. 
A  man  was  behind  the  small  pocket  electric 
searchlight.  He  advanced  carefully,  cautiously, 
noiselessly  into  the  room.  He  was  a  tall  man  of 
athletic  build,  and  he  wore  a  long,  gray  auto  coat; 
a  cap,  with  goggles  was  pulled  so  far  down  over 
his  face  that  it  was  impossible  to  see  his  features. 
He  stopped  and  listened  intently.  There  was  not  a 
sound.  The  entire  household  was  asleep.  Then 
cautiously,  stealthily,  he  advanced  to  the  desk  and 
swept  with  his  lantern  the  mass  of  papers  with 
which  it  was  littered.  Quickly  he  rummaged  among 
the  papers,  as  if  seeking  something.  Not  finding 
what  he  wanted,  he  gave  a  muffled  exclamation  of 
disappointment.  At  that  instant  his  foot  caught  in 

233 


THE    GAMBLERS 


the  rug  and,  losing  his  balance,  he  stumbled  heavily 
against  a  chair. 

The  door  of  the  bedchamber  opened  and  Kathryn 
appeared,  still  fully  dressed.  She  had  been  reading 
some  letters  before  starting  to  get  ready  for  bed, 
when  suddenly  she  heard  the  noise.  Nervous  and 
trying  to  peer  through  the  darkness,  she  called 
out: 

"Who's  there?    Is  that  you,  Jane?" 

There  was  no  answer.  Now  thoroughly  alarmed, 
Kathryn  did  a  thing  which,  under  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances, a  woman  should  never  do.  She  turned 
on  the  electric  switch.  Instantly  the  library  was 
flooded  with  light,  and  there  in  the  centre  of  the 
room,  making  no  attempt  to  get  away,  was  the  noc- 
turnal intruder. 

Involuntarily  Kathryn  gave  a  scream.  She  was 
too  frightened  to  run.  Her  feet  seemed  glued  to 
the  spot,  her  tongue  clove  to  her  palate.  At  last, 
after  all  these  years  of  nervous  apprehension,  she 
was  face  to  face  with  a  burglar.  The  man  ad- 
vanced toward  her.  Threateningly  he  said: 

"Hush!  Don't  make  a  noise,  or  it  will  be  the 
worse  for  you !" 

234 


"SHE  WAS   FACE   TO   FACE   WITH  A   BURGLAR." 


Page  234. 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"What  do  you  want?"  she  said,  her  teeth  chat- 
tering with  sheer  terror. 

"Your  jewelry  —  and  money!"  he  replied  sternly. 
"Come,  now  —  you  look  like  a  sensible  woman.  No 
outcry  —  please—  I  want  no  violence  if  I  can  avoid 


"There's  no  money  —  and  very  little  jewelry 
here,"  stammered  Kathryn. 

She  turned  to  flee.  He  halted  her  with  a  warning 
gesture  and  she  noticed  that  in  his  hand  he  held  a 
pistol. 

"Don't  move  !"  he  commanded.  "Stay  where  you 
are!" 

Despite  the  fact  that  he  was  a  burglar  and  in 
control  of  the  situation,  she  resented  his  domineer- 
ing tone. 

"Why  do  you  want  me  to  stay  here?"  she  de- 
manded haughtily.  "I  don't  care  what  you  take. 
Don't  you  see  I'm  afraid  of  you?" 

He  went  to  the  door  leading  to  the  landing 
through  which  he  had  entered  and  locked  it. 

"You  need  not  be  afraid,"  he  chuckled,  "but  don't 
move  from  this  room."  Pointing  to  a  chair  by  the 
fireplace  he  added:  "Sit  down,  please." 

235 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Powerless  to  resist,  Kathryn  sat  down  and 
watched  him.  He  was  surely  a  singular  burglar. 
She  could  not  see  his  face,  but  she  noticed  that  his 
hands  were  white  and  well  manicured  and  there 
was  something  familiar  about  his  voice.  Could  it 
be  the  butler  whom  they  had  discharged  some 
months  ago?  It  was  about  the  same  figure.  In- 
voluntarily she  pressed  the  button  of  the  electric 
bell  which  was  near  the  fireplace.  His  alert  eye 
saw  the  action,  and  like  a  flash  he  was  upon  her. 

"You  rang  that  bell!"  he  exclaimed  fiercely. 
"Where  does  it  connect?" 

Too  frightened  for  utterance,  she  made  no  an- 
swer. 

"With  the  servants'  room,  I  suppose,"  he  went 
on.  Sternly  he  commanded  :  "Now,  do  as  I  tell  you !" 

Revolver  in  hand,  he  tiptoed  over  to  the  locked 
door  and  listened.  Then  turning  and  addressing 
his  victim,  he  said: 

"Some  one  is  coming!  Unless  you  tell  them  to 
go,  that  it's  all  right,  I'll " 

He  leveled  his  revolver  at  the  door. 

"It's  a  woman !"  cried  Kathryn  in  terror.  "You 
wouldn't— kill  her?" 

236 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Tell  her  to  go,  or "  he  commanded. 

Forgetting  for  the  moment  her  own  danger,  the 
mistress  pleaded  earnestly  for  the  life  of  her  maid 
servant. 

"No — no !"  she  cried.  "She's  done  no  harm — she 
— she's  only  obeying  orders!  Why  don't  you  kill 
me?  I  rang  for  her — she  doesn't  know!" 

"Hush!"  he  commanded  sternly. 

There  was  a  knock  on  the  door.  Jane,  aroused 
from  her  sleep  by  her  mistress's  ring,  was  outside 
trying  to  open.  In  a  low  whisper  he  said : 

"Tell  her  it's  all  right — it  was  a  mistake — that 
she  may  go." 

By  way  of  enforcing  his  order,  he  again  leveled 
the  pistol.  Quickly  Kathryn  called  out: 

"It's  all  right,  Jane,  it  was  a  mistake." 

"Tell  her  to  go,"  he  whispered. 

"You  may  go,  Jane." 

"Very  well,  ma'am,"  said  the  girl. 

He  stood  behind  the  door,  listening  as  the  maid's 
footsteps  died  away  in  the  distance.  Then,  turning 
suddenly  on  his  trembling  companion,  he  said 
fiercely : 

"Where  does  your  husband  keep  his  valuables — 
237 


THE    GAMBLERS 


his  check  book,  money  and — and  articles  he  consid- 
ers of  importance  or  value?" 

"In  his  office — downtown!"  she  gasped. 

"Yes,"  he  retorted  quickly,  "but  it  may  happen 
that  he  keeps  them  here,  too.  He'd  keep  his 
money  and  important  correspondence  together. 
Where  is  it?  Come!"  he  said  determinedly,  "I 
must  know."  Then,  lowering  his  voice,  he  added 
more  gently:  "I'm  sorry  to  appear  brutal,  but " 

Kathryn  started.  Looking  at  the  man  more 
closely,  she  exclaimed : 

"That  voice!    Your  voice  reminds  me " 

"What  is  in  here?"  demanded  the  intruder,  in- 
terrupting her  gruffly. 

"Nothing  of — of  value.  If  I  give  you  a  pearl 
necklace  worth  a  great  deal  of  money — it's  really 
all  the  jewelry  I  have — will  you  be  satisfied  and  go 
— without  doing  us  any  harm?" 

"Let's  see  it,"  he  muttered. 

"It's  a  present.     I  hate  to  part  with  it,  but " 

She  rose,  and  going  to  the  safe,  began  to  work 
on  the  combination,  while  he  stood  watching.    Pres- 
ently the  steel  doors  opened,  and  pulling  out  the 
little  drawer  Kathryn  lifted  up  the  pearl  necklace. 
238 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"It's  worth  a  lot  of  money,"  she  said.  "Take 
that,  and  spare  my  life." 

But  the  burglar  scarcely  noticed  the  jewels.  His 
gaze  was  riveted  on  the  long,  blue  envelope  which 
she  had  placed  away  in  the  safe  earlier  in  the 
evening. 

"What  is  in  that — money?"  he  demanded. 

She  shook  her  head. 

"No,  only  papers  belonging  to  my  husband.  It 
was  left  here  this  afternoon.  It's  of  no  value. 
Won't  you  please  take  the  pearls  and  go?" 

Almost  on  the  verge  of  a  nervous  collapse,  she 
staggered  to  her  feet.  Almost  hysterically  she  re- 
peated : 

"My  strength  is  exhausted.  Take  the  jewels  and 
go!" 

The  intruder  stooped  quickly  and  grasped  the 
blue  envelope.  Overjoyed  at  having  found  at  last 
what  he  had  been  looking  for,  he  turned  to  the 
frightened  woman.  Dropping  his  rough  tones  and 
removing  his  cap,  he  said  gently: 

"I  am  sorry  —  deeply  sorry  to  have  dis- 
tressed  " 

Kathryn  looked  up,  gave  him  a  quick  glance,  and 

239 


THE    GAMBLERS 


fell  back  with  a  cry  of  amazement,  in  which  indig- 
nation was  mingled  with  relief. 

"Wilbur  Emerson!  It's  Wilbur  Emerson!  My 
God,  it's  Wilbur  Emerson!" 

For  a  moment  it  was  all  she  could  say.  It  was 
so  astounding  that  momentarily  she  was  bereft  of 
reason.  He  remained  silent,  standing  still,  just 
looking  at  her,  holding  the  coveted  blue  envelope 
tight  in  his  hand.  Finally,  she  began  to  awaken 
to  a  realization  of  the  humiliation  to  which  he  had 
subjected  her.  Haughtily  she  said : 

"What  are  you  doing  in  my  husband's  house  at 
this  hour  of  the  night,  like  a  thief?  You  are  a 
thief!" 

"Yes,"  he  answered  bitterly,  "I  am  a  thief.  Send 
for  the  police!" 

"What  good  would  that  do  ?"  she  answered  with 
a  shrug  of  her  beautiful  bare  shoulders.  "You 
didn't  come  here  for  money.  You  have  some  other 
motive.  A  man  with  the  millions  you  are  supposed 
to  be  worth  does  not  break  into  houses  for  what 
jewelry  he  can  find.  What  does  it  mean,  Mr.  Em- 
erson? What  does  it  mean?  Is  it  a  brutal,  prac- 
tical joke?  Surely  there  is  some  explanation " 

240 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Oh,  yes,"  he  said  quickly,  "there  is  some  expla- 
nation, but  none  that  I  can  give  or  that  you  would 
accept.  It  is  the  last  frantic  effort  of  a  desperate 
man  to  head  off  his  enemies,  to  reestablish  him- 
self and  his  business  associates  in  the  eyes  of  the 
world." 

She  gazed  at  him  in  utter  astonishment,  not  un- 
derstanding. Indignantly,  and  with  a  shade  of  re- 
proach in  her  voice,  she  said: 

"What  has  this  to  do  with  the  fact  that  you  have 
entered  this  house  like  a  thief  in  the  night,  and — 
forcibly!  Oh,  I  believed  in  you,  Wilbur!  I  al- 
ways believed  in  you,  in  spite  of  what  my  husband 
has  said.  Can't  you  explain?  There  must  be  a 
reason." 

He  nodded. 

"Yes,  there  is  a  reason,  but  none  admitted  by  any 
law  —  social  or  moral.  Judge  for  yourself."  Ea- 
gerly he  went  on:  "A  group  of  friends  who  have 
entrusted  their  fortunes  to  me  have  been  driven 
to  the  wall  by  the  bigger  interests.  At  a  critical 
moment  during  the  panic  this  gigantic  Money  Trust 
cut  us  off  from  all  assistance — made  every  effort  to 
force  us  to  the  wall.  The  direct  object  of  these  big 

241 


THE    GAMBLERS 


moneyed  interests  is  to  ruin  us.  We  needed  money 
to  tide  over,  and  had  no  one  to  turn  to.  They 
didn't  care  whether  thousands  of  our  depositors 
suffered,  so  long  as  they  ruined  us.  They  wanted 
it  all  for  themselves.  It  was  then  that  we  over- 
borrowed  our  capital  in  the  hopes  of  making  enough 
to  save  our  thousands  of  poor  devils  who  have 
invested  their  money  with  us.  This  act  broke  a 
technical  law.  The  big  interests,  who  were  watch- 
ing us  closely,  found  it  out  and  set  the  Government 
machinery  to  work — and  the  Government  has 
turned  us  over  to  the  tender  mercy  of  your  husband 
— Mr.  James  Darwin.  The  destruction  of  these 
notes  will  save  my  father  and  my  friends  from  a 
long  term  of  imprisonment!" 

"Your  father — in  prison  ?"  she  cried. 

"Yes,  prison!  The  evidence  which  is  in  this  en- 
velope was  sent  to  your  husband  this  evening  by 
one  of  our  most  trusted  officials.  He  allowed  him- 
self to  be  bribed  by  Mr.  Darwin  into  betraying  his 
friends.  You  see,  the  reformer  doesn't  hesitate  to 
corrupt  a  man  in  order  to  prove  that  corruption 
exists " 

A  softer  light  came  into  her  eyes.  Her  bosom 
242 


THE    GAMBLERS 


rose  and  fell  with  suppressed  emotion.  More  kindly 
she  said : 

"And  it  was  to  save  your  father  and  your  friends 
that  you  came  to — to " 

"My  father  is  as  innocent  as  a  child,"  he  inter- 
rupted quickly.  "He  trusted  in  me  implicitly,  and 
I — I  am  responsible  for  his  present  predicament. 
By  God!  if  he  goes  to  prison,  I — I  can't  bear  to 
think  of  it.  You  see  to  what  it  has  driven  me." 

Quietly,  firmly,  she  took  from  him  the  envelope 
which  he  still  held  in  his  hand.  Slowly  she  asked : 

"Would  the  destruction  of  these  notes — save  you 
— personally?" 

"It  might,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "I  don't 
know.  I'm  a  marked  man — my  success  has  been 
phenomenal  and  I  have  a  great  many  enemies.  I've 
done  wrong,  Kathryn,  I  acknowledge  it — and  I 
ask  no  forgiveness.  All  I  beg  and  implore  is  that 
the  innocent  may  not  suffer  with  the  guilty." 

Kathryn  nodded.     Meditatively,  she  said: 

"The  innocent  often  suffer  with  the  guilty.  Mr. 
Darwin  says  it  is  better  that  the  innocent  should 
suffer  than  that  the  guilty  should  escape." 

"Well,"  exclaimed  Wilbur  quickly,  "my  father 
243 


THE    GAMBLERS 


shan't  suffer  for  my  sins!  I've  made  up  my  mind 
to  that." 

He  advanced  toward  her  with  open  hand,  as  if 
expecting  that  she  would  return  to  him  the  blue 
envelope  which  she  held.  But,  instead,  she  drew 
back  a  few  steps  and  looked  at  him  reproachfully. 
Gravely  she  said : 

"You  mean  that  you  have  made  up  your  mind 
to  add  the  crime  of  stealing  to  your  folly  in  coming 
here  to-night?" 

His  eyes  still  fixed  on  the  envelope,  he  nodded. 
She  went  on: 

"If  I  refuse  to  allow  you  to  take  this,  you  will 
take  it  by  force — is  that  what  you  mean?" 

"Give  it  to  me,  Kate,"  he  said  coaxingly. 

"Please,  don't  call  me  by  that  name,"  she  replied 
haughtily. 

He  looked  at  her  reproachfully.    Gently  he  said : 

"There's  nothing  in  a  lifelong  friendship,  eh? 
I  thought  you  and  I  were  good  friends.  Have  you 
forgotten  the  past  ?  Darwin  won  you,  but  he  never 
loved  you  as  I  did.  I  believe  you  loved  me  once." 

She  looked  away.     More  gently  she  said: 

"Please  don't  refer  to  that  now.  You  loved  the 
244 


THB    GAMBLERS 


excitement  of  making  money — of  building  up  for- 
tunes for  yourself  and  others.  Success  had  more 
attractions  for  you  than  a  woman's  love." 

He  shook  his  head. 

"I  loved  you,  Kate,  and  you  know  it.  You  re- 
fused me.  You  thought  Darwin  would  do  more 
for  you.  Perhaps  if  I  had  married  you,  I  shouldn't 
be  in  this  plight  now.  And  your  husband — doesn't 
he  love  success — doesn't  he  sacrifice  every  one,  even 
you,  to  gain  it?" 

"Please  don't!"  she  cried. 

But  he  refused  to  be  silenced.  Angrily  he  went 
on: 

"Don't  you  think  he  won  victory  enough  over 
me  when  he  got  you?  You  know  the  kind  of  man 
he  is — not  justice,  but  vengeance — punishment  per- 
sonified. Are  you  going  to  place  our  lives  in  his 
hands?" 

"Your  lives  ?"  she  echoed. 

"A  man  like  my  father  doesn't  survive  a  term 
in  prison,  and  I  wouldn't  live  to  see  him  sentenced. 
Spare  us,  Kate!" 

She  turned  away  so  that  he  should  not  see  the 
tears  in  her  eyes.  Her  sympathies  were  with  him 

245 


THE    GAMBLERS 


and  his  father,  but  what  could  she  do?    Gently  she 
said: 

"Betray  my  husband?  No,  I  can't — Wilbur, 
these  public  matters  are  entrusted  to  him.  It  is  his 
sworn  duty.  His  work  is  great  and  noble.  He 
represents  the  people.  How  can  you  ask  any 
woman  to  coldly,  deliberately  sacrifice  her  hus- 
band's honor?" 

"It  is  not  his  honor!"  cried  Wilbur  bitterly;  "it's 
his  ambition!  Father  is  old;  he  hasn't  long  to  live 
and — Kate — I  love  you!  I  have  never  loved  you 
more  than  when  you  stand  there  now — a  living  wall 
between  me  and  the  object  of  my  visit  here  to- 
night. Can  you  do  this  thing  to  a  man  who  loves 
you?" 

She  drew  herself  up  haughtily. 

"You  have  no  right  to  speak  of  love !  It — it's  an 
insult!" 

"No  man's  love  is  an  insult,"  he  interrupted.  "I 
don't  ask  you  to  return  that  love.  I'm  only  asking 
you  to — to  help  me,  for  my  father's  sake." 

"What  is  it  you  want  me  to  do?"  she  demanded. 

"Give  me  those  notes,  and  say  nothing  to  Mr. 
Darwin  of  my  visit  here." 

246 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  can't,  Wilbur !  I  can't !"  she  cried.  "My  God, 
I  can't!  How  can  I  look  my  husband  in  the  face 
again  if  I  deliberately  rob  him  of  the  results  of  his 
honest  work?" 

"Honest  work!"  cried  Wilbur  scornfully.  "Dis- 
honest work !  He  wormed  and  tricked  those  things 
out  of  one  of  our  directors  by  promises  of  free- 
dom. He  bribed  a  man  to  betray  his  partners.  Is 
the  man  who  bribes  any  better  than  the  man  who 
is  bribed?  I'm  afraid  that  you'll  discover  that  your 
god  has  feet  of  clay." 

"I'll  ask  Mr.  Darwin  to— to " 

"He'll  laugh  at  you!" 

"Perhaps  he  will  relent."  Wringing  her  hands 
distractedly,  she  went  on :  "It's  hard  to  be  placed  in 
this  position.  I  want  to  help  you  and  I  dare  not.  I 
don't  know  what  to  do.  Just  think,  if  he  asks  me 
to-morrow  if  these  things  have  been  sent  to  him.  I 
would  lie  and  go  on  lying.  Oh!  the  dishonesty  of 
the  whole  thing!  Why  do  you  compel  me  to  do 
this?  You  are  forcing  me.  I  can  feel  myself  giv- 
ing way  against  my  will.  If  I  did  this  thing  I 
should  tell  him — I  know  I  should — I'm  never  able 
to  keep  a  secret  from  him.  He  has  a  way  of  com- 

247 


THE    GAMBLERS 


pelling  one  to  say  all  they  know,  and "  Hoarse- 
ly, almost  hysterically,  she  added:  "I'm  afraid — 
that's  the  whole  truth  of  it — I'm  afraid — I'm  afraid 
of  him,  Wilbur." 

He  looked  at  her  fixedly,  as  he  replied  slowly : 

"The  woman  who  loves  a  man  isn't  afraid  of 
him.  I  see,  it  will  make  you  unhappy  to  do  this, 
and  so — we  must  pay  the  full  penalty!"  His  voice 
still  pleading,  he  went  on:  "Kate,  won't  it  make 
you  just  a  little  bit  unhappy  when  your  husband,  in 
his  hour  of  triumph,  tells  you  that  he  has  just  sent 
five  men  to  prison — one  of  them  an  innocent  old 
man  whose  whole  life  has  been  a  model  of  gentle- 
ness and  virtue?  Come,  be  a  woman — forget  that 
you're  a  wife !  Your  duty  to  your  husband  ?  Yes — 
fine — great — noble!  But  your  duty  as  a  woman — 
a  human  being — doesn't  that  come  first?  Isn't  the 
instinct  of  mercy  stronger  than  the  mere  desire  to 
be  right?" 

"I  don't  know!  I  don't  know!"  she  cried  dis- 
tractedly. 

Wilbur's  face  hardened.  The  lines  about  his 
mouth  tightened.  Why  should  he  stand  there  wast- 
ing time,  trying  to  argue  with  a  woman?  The 

248 


THE    GAMBLERS 


proofs — the  damning  proofs  of  his  criminality  were 
there  in  her  hands.  He  had  but  to  seize  and  destroy 
them  and  all  danger  would  be  averted.  Moving 
closer,  he  said  determinedly: 

"Can't  move  you,  eh?  Now,  listen  to  me — I 
practically  risked  my  life  in  coming  here  to-night, 
and  I  don't  intend  to  go  without " 

As  he  advanced,  Kathryn  retreated. 

"You  mean  you  are  going  to  use  force?"  she 
exclaimed  apprehensively. 

He  continued  to  advance  threateningly. 

"Yes,  if  you  compel  me!"  he  replied,  with  grim 
determination. 

Kathryn,  terror  stricken,  took  refuge  behind  a 
chair. 

"No,  no — not  that,  Wilbur!"  she  cried  plead- 
ingly. "Don't — don't — it  isn't  in  you  to  do  that!" 

He  still  advanced  on  her,  but  as  he  was  about  to 
seize  hold  of  her  he  weakened. 

"You're  right!"  he  gasped;  "there's  a  limit 
to  my  villainy — I  give  it  up — I've  done  my  best. 
You're  witness  to  that — I've  done  my  best.  Poor 
father,  your  last  chance  has  gone!  I'm  sorry, 
Kate — I'm  sorry  to  have  distressed  you  so.  You're 

249 


THE    GAMBLERS 


a  good  woman,  and  you  say  that  the  innocent  should 
suffer  with  the  guilty.  Well,  perhaps  you're  right- 
but  it's  hard,  isn't  it?  You'll  admit  that" 

"Yes,  I  admit  that,"  she  said  sympathetically. 
"Give  me  till  to-morrow.  I'll  think  over  what's 
best  to  be  done.  I  want  to  do  what  is  right,  but 
I  don't  want  to  be  cruel." 

Eagerly  he  grasped  at  this  straw  she  held  out. 

"You  said  to-morrow?"  he  cried.  "Don't  raise 
my  hopes  unless " 

She  interrupted  him. 

"Did  you  say  that  Mr.  Darwin  bribed  one  of  your 
partners  to  betray  you?" 

"Yes — Cowper.  He  brought  your  husband  those 
notes." 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment,  as  if  meditating. 
Then  she  said: 

"It  seems  to  me  that — that  was  not  exactly  hon- 
orable." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.    Bitterly  he  said  : 

"I  suppose  all  is  fair  in  love  and  politics.  Your 
husband  is  playing  the  game  as  the  reformer  un- 
derstands it."  Holding  out  his  hand  he  said :  "I'm 
going  now.  You'll  forgive  me,  won't  you?" 

250 


THE    GAMBLERS 


She  put  her  hand  in  his. 

"I  wish  I  knew  what  to  do,"  she  said.  "I  wish 
I  knew  what  was  best — what  was  right." 

He  turned  as  he  reached  the  door. 

"Good-bye,"  he  said.  "I'm  going  to  make  one 
last  appeal  to  your  husband  to-morrow  to  spare  my 
father.  Don't  tell  him  of  this— this  folly  of  to- 
night, till  after  I  have  seen  him,  please." 

She  nodded  affirmatively. 

"Promise  me,"  he  said. 

"I  promise — not  only  that,  but  when  I  do  tell 
him  I'll  ask  him  to — I  did  ask  him  not  to  take  this 
case,  but  he  refused.  I  can't  promise  you  that  he'll 
listen  to  me,  but  I'll  try — I'll  try " 

"Oh,  if  you  only  succeed!" 

"If  you  had  these  notes,  would — would  it  save 
you  personally?" 

"No.  It  makes  no  difference  to  me  personally. 
The  crime  was  mine.  I  engineered  the  deal,  and 
I  must  face  the  music ;  but  it  will  save  my  father — 
and  the  others." 

Kathryn  looked  at  him.     Gently  she  said: 

"I  see.  You  love  your  father  very  much,  don't 
you?" 

251 


THB    GAMBLERS 


"I  think  so.  I  don't  know — I  suppose  it's  love, 
but  it  isn't  that  altogether — it's  self-reproach.  It's 
all  my  doing,  Kate — mine  alone.  He  was  content 
and  happy.  He  had  enough  to  live  on  and  was  sat- 
isfied— but  he  gave  way  to  my  ambition,  my  desire 
to  emulate  the  big  moneyed  men — to  lead — to  be 
the  great  central  figure." 

Kathryn  suddenly  felt  faint.    The  night's  excite- 
ment had  been  too  much  for  her.     She  staggered 
as  if  falling,  and  Wilbur  hastened  to  assist  her. 
"This  is  too  bad.     You  must  be  tired  out." 
"Yes,"   she  murmured.     "I — must   go — to    my 
room.   You  can  find  your  way  out.     Please  turn 
off  the  light  as  you  go." 

"Yes,  I  will.     Good  night,  and  God  bless  you!" 
"Good  night,  Mr.  Emerson.    I'll  do  my  best." 
She  opened  the  door  of  her  chamber  and  disap- 
peared. 

Wilbur  buttoned  up  his  coat,  took  his  cap  and 
turned  the  electric  switch.  Then,  noiselessly,  he 
unlocked  the  door  leading  to  the  landing  and  cau- 
tiously opened  it.  To  his  amazement  he  found  the 
hall  outside  brilliantly  illuminated  and  a  man  stand- 
ing there,  as  if  on  guard. 

252 


CHAPTER  XVI 

WILBUR  retreated  into  the  library.  The 
stranger,  a  square- jawed  man  with  thick 
soles  redolent  of  the  detective  bureau, 
followed  him  in. 

"What  are  you  doing  there?"  demanded  Wilbur 
uneasily. 

"I'm  acting  under  orders,  sir,"  replied  the  man. 

"Whose  orders?" 

"The  district  attorney's." 

Wilbur  started.     Quickly  he  said:         v^ 

"You  are " 

"Detective  Hicks  of  the  Central  Office,  sir." 

"You're  the  man  who  was  watching  my  house 
to-night  from  across  the  street?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Emerson." 

"You  followed  me  here?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"What's  your  object  ?" 

"Mr.  Darwin  will  tell  you  that  when  he  conies." 
253 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Involuntarily  Wilbur  made  an  exclamation  of 
astonishment. 

"Mr.  Darwin?  I  thought  he  was  in  Washington 
by  this  time.  Does  he  know  I  am  here?" 

"Yes,  sir.  He's  now  on  his  way  home  from  the 
Pennsylvania  depot.  Our  messenger  caught  him 
as  he  was  getting  on  the  train." 

Hurriedly  Wilbur  started  for  the  door. 

"I'm  afraid  I  can't  wait  here  for  Mr.  Darwin." 

The  detective  barred  the  way.  Resolutely  he  said  : 

"I'm  afraid  you  must,  sir.  His  orders  were  to 
keep  you  here  until  he  came " 

"Keep  me  here  by  force?"  cried  Wilbur  deri- 
sively. "That  would  be  too  good  a  joke." 

The  detective  remained  calm,  but  masterful.  Re- 
spectfully he  said: 

"My  orders  are  to  keep  you  here,  sir.  I  have 
another  man  on  watch  downstairs.  Mr.  Darwin 
won't  be  long.  He  ought  to  have  been  here  five 
minutes  ago." 

Putting  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  drawing  out 
a  roll  of  banknotes,  Wilbur  said  carelessly: 

"I  suppose  it's  no  use  my  suggesting  that — my 
offering  to — to " 

254 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  detective  shook  his  head.  Laconically  he 
replied : 

"No,  sir,  I  wouldn't  do  that  if  I  were  you." 

"Name  your  own  figure!"  exclaimed  Wilbur  ea- 
gerly. Seeing  that  the  man  was  incorruptible  and 
that  no  amount  of  money  would  tempt  him,  he  de- 
sisted. Carelessly  he  said: 

"Never  mind — never  mind.  I'll  make  the  best 
of  it." 

Suddenly  they  heard  a  door  bang  downstairs. 

"There's  Mr.  Darwin  now!"  said  the  detec- 
tive. 

A  moment  later  the  district  attorney  entered  the 
room.  He  had  run  upstairs  without  even  stopping 
to  remove  his  coat  and  hat.  In  his  hand  he  held  a 
traveling  bag.  As  he  entered  the  room  he  stopped 
and  looked  squarely  at  Wilbur.  He  said  nothing, 
but  there  was  a  stern,  determined  expression  in  his 
face  that  boded  no  good  for  any  man  who  had  the 
temerity  to  enter  his  house  without  his  knowledge 
and  consent.  Slowly  he  removed  his  hat  and  coat 
and  threw  them  with  the  bag  on  to  a  chair.  Then, 
going  to  his  desk,  he  turned  to  the  detective  and 
asked : 

255 


THH    GAMBLERS 


"Where  is  Mrs.  Darwin?" 

"In  her  room,  sir." 

"Does  she  know  I've  returned?" 

"No,  sir." 

Going  quickly  to  his  wife's  bedchamber,  Darwin 
stopped  at  the  threshold  and  listened.  Hearing 
nothing,  he  tried  to  open  the  door,  but  it  was  locked. 
Walking  back  to  the  desk  he  cast  a  keen,  suspicious 
look  at  his  nocturnal  visitor.  Sternly  he  demanded : 

"Now,  Mr.  Emerson,  what  are  you  doing  in  my 
house  at  this  hour?" 

"I  came  to  see  you." 

"To  see  me — at  midnight?"  exclaimed  Darwin 
incredulously.  Ironically  he  added:  "What  time 
was  it  when  you  paid  me — -this  honor?" 

"I  can't  remember  the  exact  hour " 

Darwin  turned  to  Hicks. 

"Exactly  thirty-five  minutes  past  eleven,  sir," 
said  the  detective  promptly. 

"They  told  you  I  was  not  here?"  said  Darwin 
slowly. 

"Yes." 

"It's  now  one  o'clock." 

"I  waited  for  you." 

256 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Waited  nearly  two  hours?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  Mrs.  Darwin  tell  you  that  I  had  gone  to 
Washington  ?" 

"No." 

"What  did  she  tell  you?"  exclaimed  Darwin  im- 
patiently. It  was  only  by  the  exercise  of  the  great- 
est self-control  that  he  contained  himself.  "Come, 
don't  try  and  lie  like  a  gentleman — don't  waste 
your  time  trying  to  save  a  woman's  reputation — 
and  above  all,  don't  spare  my  feelings!"  Fiercely, 
almost  savagely,  he  added:  "I  want  the  facts,  and 
believe  me,  I'm  going  to  get  them!" 

"You  can  have  all  the  facts,"  replied  Wilbur 
frankly.  "There's  nothing  I  wish  to  hide,  but  I 
object  to  being  questioned,  cross-examined,  as  it 
were,  in  the  presence  of  that  man.  I'm  not  in 
court — not  yet.  Send  him  away  and  I'll — I'll  tell 
you  the  whole  truth!" 

The  district  attorney  looked  at  him  searchingly 
for  a  moment.  Then,  suspiciously,  he  said: 

"I  want  a  witness." 

"I'll  put  it  in  writing  if  you  like." 

"Very  well.     I'll  hear  what  you  have  to  say." 

257 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Turning  to  the  detective  he  said:     "Wait  down- 
stairs.   Don't  come  till  I  call." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  the  man  as  he  went  out, 
closing  the  door  quietly  behind  him. 

Darwin  pointed  to  a  seat,  and  took  a  seat  him- 
self at  the  desk. 

"Well,  sir,  I'm  waiting,"  said  the  district  attor- 
ney coldly. 

"Mr.  Darwin,"  began  Wilbur,  "I  know  what's 
in  your  mind  in  regard  to  my  visit.  I  know  what 
has  always  been  in  your  mind  in  regard  to  me.  But 
man  to  man,  before  God,  you  are  wrong  in  both 
instances." 

"Never  mind  what  you  suspect  I  think,"  snapped 
Darwin.  "Let  us  have  the  facts.  What  was  your 
object  in  coming  here?" 

"I  came  to  steal." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Darwin.  "So  robbery  was 
your  motive?" 

"Yes,  let  me  explain." 

-  The  attorney  laughed  incredulously.    Facetiously 
he  said : 

"And  instead  of  avoiding  detection  and  arrest 
you  stayed  around  two  hours?" 

258 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur  nodded. 

"Yes,  but " 

"Would  you  swear  to  that  in  a  court  of 
law?" 

"Yes." 

"Then  you're  a  bigger  fool  than  I  thought  you 
were,  and  I  marvel  at  your  business  success." 
Leaning  forward,  his  teeth  clinched,  hate  flashing 
from  his  eyes,  he  went  on:  "Emerson,  I'm  going 
to  be  frank  and  indelicate,  but  I  want  the  truth.  I 
hate  evil  and  evildoers.  I  hate  them!  You  love 
my  wife — yes,  you  do!" 

"I  admire  and  respect  her,"  protested  Wilbur. 

«T  » 

"She  would  have  married  you,"  went  on  the  at- 
torney bitterly,  "if  your  love  of  money  had  not 
turned  your  head — but  that  is  some  time  ago.  The 
situation  has  changed.  You  have  made  money 
— you  can  rest  on  your  laurels — which  means  you 
can  indulge  your  passion.  You  loved  her  and  she 
— she  loved  you — and  you  are  here — in  my  house 
after  midnight — the  deduction  is  inevitable. 
You " 

Wilbur  sprang  to  his  feet.  Indignantly  he  cried : 
259 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Don't  say  it!  Don't  say  it!  Besides,  it's  a 
damnable  lie!  She  doesn't  love  me!" 

"She  did  love  you!"  persisted  Darwin.  "She 
told  me  so  years  ago  in  a  charming  outburst  of 
schoolgirl  confidence  —  told  me  the  whole 
story " 

"Which  you  are  blackguard  enough  to  betray!" 

Ignoring  the  interruption  the  lawyer  went  on : 

"You  came  here  to  rob  the  house — yes — and  you 
have  robbed  it — my  wife  is " 

"Leave  her  name  out  of  the  affair!"  exclaimed 
Wilbur  hotly. 

"How  can  I?"  demanded  Darwin  cynically. 

Wilbur  sprang  forward  with  an  angry  gest- 
ure. 

"By  God,  if  you  mention  it  again,  I'll "  Re- 
straining himself  with  an  effort,  he  went  on:  "I 
want  to  tell  the  truth,  damn  you,  but  you  won't 
give  me  a  chance,  so  anxious  you  are  to  fasten  guilt 
on  that  innocent  little  woman!  You  live  in  an  at- 
mosphere of  suspicion — your  trade  is  to  convict, 
and  you  see  nothing  but  guilt  all  around  you — I 
told  you  I  came  here  to  steal " 

"And  I  dismiss  your  explanation  as  absurd  and 
260 


THE    GAMBLERS 


trivial,"  retorted  the  attorney.  "Come,  try 
again " 

Wilbur  looked  at  him  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
Then  slowly  he  said: 

"First  of  all,  I  want  you  to  give  your — your 
word  of  honor  as  a  man,  though  I  have  precious 
little  faith  in  it — that  you  will  not  use  any  of  the 
facts  I  may  give  you  as  evidence  against  us — my- 
self or  my  associates — in  the  Federal  Courts." 

"Oh,  yes— granted." 

"You  promise?" 

"I  promise.    Go  on!" 

Stepping  quickly  to  the  door,  Wilbur  listened  in- 
tently. Putting  his  hand  on  the  knob  and  giving 
it  a  quick  twist,  he  suddenly  opened  the  door  and 
exclaimed : 

"Let's  have  a  witness  to  that — there's  one  right 
here!" 

Putting  out  his  hand  he  pulled  in  Hicks,  who 
had  a  notebook  in  hand.  Addressing  the  detective, 
he  said: 

"While  you  are  taking  notes,  I  wish  you  to  note 
the  fact  that  Mr.  Darwin  solemnly  promises  not 
to  use  any  of  the  statements  I  am  about  to  make 

261 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  him  as  evidence  in  the  case  of  the  United  States 
Government  against  the  Emerson  Banking  Com- 
pany." 

Darwin  nodded  approval. 

"That's  all!"  said  Wilbur  curtly.  "Now,  keep 
away  from  that  door." 

The  man  went  out,  closing  the  door  behind  him. 
Darwin  looked  on  in  silence. 

"Well?"  he  demanded  at  last. 

Wilbur  folded  his  arms  and  looked  his  rival  full 
in  the  face.  Contemptuously  he  said: 

"The  deal  you  made  with  George  Cowper  is 
known  to  us." 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  the  attorney. 

"You  had  an  appointment  this  afternoon." 

"Well " 

"He  kept  the  appointment.  You  were  detained 
downtown,  so  did  not  get  what  he  brought  you. 
The  evidence  he  was  to  supply  you  with,  for  which 
you  bribed  him  with  promises  of  personal  immunity, 
was  left  here  by  him,  according  to  promise." 

"Well " 

"I  heard  it  was  here  at  fifteen  minutes  before 
ten — at  half-past  eleven  I  was  hiding  in  this  house." 

262 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Speak  a  little  louder,  please,"  suggested  the  at- 
torney. 

"No,"  retorted  Wilbur,  "this  is  for  your  ear 
alone." 

Darwin  laughed  cynically.    Carelessly  he  said : 

"That  man  outside  knows  all  about  you  and  your 
affairs.  The  moment  you  came  in  this  house  he 
telephoned  for  instructions." 

"Yes,  but  he  doesn't  know  that  I  came  here  to 
recover  the  notes  that  George  Cowper  left  here  for 
you." 

"You  acknowledge,"  cried  Darwin  exultantly, 
"that  these  notes  will  convict  you  and  your  asso- 
ciates?" 

Wilbur  nodded.     Quickly  he  replied: 

"I  acknowledge  that  they  will  convict  me.  My 
associates  are  entirely  ignorant  of  the  uses  to  which 
their  signatures  were  put." 

A  look  of  anxiety  suddenly  crossed  the  attorney's 
face. 

"Where  are  the  notes?"  he  demanded. 

"I  don't  know,"  answered  Wilbur  carelessly;  "I 
haven't  them — Mrs.  Darwin " 

"Ah,  yes,  let's  come  to  that !"  said  Darwin,  look- 
263 


THE    GAMBLERS 


ing  up  quickly.     "What  part  did  she  play  in  this— 
this  affair?" 

"She  found  me  here — in  the  ac'.  of  searching  your 
desk." 

"Oh!" 

"She  thought  I  was  an  ordinary  burglar,  and  of- 
fered me  her  jewelry  on  condition  I  would  go,  but 
afterwards  she  recognized  my  voice  and " 

"And  what?" 

"She  refused  to  allow  me  to  take  away  what  I 
had  come  for.  I  argued,  pleaded,  threatened  to  use 
force,  but  it  was  useless.  She  was  firm  in  her  fidel- 
ity to  your  interests." 

Darwin  shrugged  his  shoulders.  With  an  ironical 
smile  he  said: 

"Firm  in  her  fidelity  to  my  interests,  eh?  A 
very  nice-sounding  phrase!  Instead  of  handing  a 
burglar  over  to  the  police,  she  entertained  him  for 
two  hours.  Quite  probable !  She  was  always  most 
sympathetic.  How  do  you  propose  to  prove  this 
farrago  of  nonsense?" 

"Mrs.  Darwin  will  tell  you  it  is  the  truth,"  replied 
Wilbur. 

"And  if  it  is  the  truth,"  snapped  Darwin,  "you 
264 


THE    GAMBLERS 


expect  me  to  suppress  the  important  fact  that 
you  came  here  to  steal  documentary  evidence  that 
would  be  damaging  to  yourself  and  your  part- 
ners?" 

"I  have  your  promise." 

"Yes,  you  have  my  promise,"  said  Darwin,  look- 
ing sternly  at  his  vis-a-vis.  "It's  a  damn  pretty 
story,  if  it's  true.  If  she  corroborates  the  story  in 
all  its  essentials,  I  may  be  disposed  to  accept ;  but  I 
have  a  cursed  inner  conviction  that  you're  lying! 
You're  a  picturesque  sort  of  a  scoundrel — just 
the  sort  of  a  fellow  that  has  no  compunction  in 
breaking  up  a  home,  and  boasting  of  it  after- 
wards." 

"The  truth  of  my  story  is  easily  proven,"  replied 
Wilbur  with  quiet  dignity.  "Cowper  will  tell  you 
that  he  left  the  notes  here;  the  servant  received  the 
blue  envelope  containing  them.  Mrs.  Darwin  saw 
me  trying  to  steal  them." 

"Thanks!"  interrupted  Darwin  sarcastically.  "I 
know  how  to  piece  the  evidence  together.  But  the 
other  side  of  the  picture  is  also  convincing,  and  far 
more  circumstantial.  Your  early  association,  your 
love  for  each  other;  her  anger  at  my  having  taken 

265 


THE    GAMBLERS 


this  case  against  you.     Why,  she  refused  to  leave 
your  house  to-night." 

"She  loves  my  sister  —  that's  why,"  replied 
Wilbur. 

"You  were  there." 

"Yes,  but  I  didn't  see  her.  Your  spies  will  tell 
you  I  was  playing  cards.  Cowper  will  tell  you — 
he's  at  my  house  now  waiting  for  me." 

Darwin  looked  toward  his  wife's  room.  Pacing 
nervously  up  and  down  the  room,  he  said : 

"Well,  we'll  see  what  she  has  to  say.  Your 
stories  should  agree.  Threateningly  he  added :  "If 
they  don't " 

"They  will,"  interrupted  Wilbur. 

"If  they  don't,  I  shall  know  precisely  what  to 
think  and  how  to  act." 

Drawing  himself  up,  Wilbur  looked  his  old  enemy 
straight  in  the  face.  Quietly  he  asked : 

"Mr.  Darwin,  when  you  try  a  case  in  court,  you 
ask  the  juror  if  he  has  a  preconceived  opinion  of 
the  prisoner's  guilt  ?" 

"Yes." 

"And  if  the  juror  say  he  has,  you  ask  him  if  he 
can  clear  his  mind  of  that  suspicion?" 

266 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes." 

"If  he  says  he  cannot,  you  reject  him  as  incom- 
petent." 

"Well?" 

"I  ask  you  if  you  can  clear  your  mind  of  the  pre- 
conceived opinion  you  have  formed  as  to  our 
guilt." 

"I  am  the  judge  in  this  case,"  replied  Darwin 
coldly. 

"Nevertheless,  I  ask  you  to  clear  your  mind  of 
unjust,  unholy  suspicions." 

"Unholy!"  cried  Darwin,  with  a  scornful  laugh. 
"The  devil  quotes  Scripture."  Dismissing  the 
banker  with  a  gesture,  he  added :  "Go,  now,  and 
wait  downstairs  till  I  send  for  you." 

Leaving  the  desk,  he  crossed  the  floor,  and  going 
to  the  door  of  his  wife's  room,  knocked  lightly  on 
the  panels.  For  a  moment  he  stood  and  listened, 
as  if  expecting  an  answer.  Not  receiving  any,  he 
pressed  the  electric  bell  at  the  fireplace.  Then, 
crossing  to  the  door  leading  to  the  landing,  opened 
it  and  called  out: 

"Hicks!" 

The  detective  came  in  and  waited  as  if  for  in- 
267 


THE    GAMBLERS 


structions.     The  district  attorney  made  a  gesture 
in  the  direction  of  the  banker. 

"Mr.  Emerson  will  wait  downstairs  till  I  have 
decided  just  what  I  am  going  to  do." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  officer. 

At  that  moment  Jane  appeared,  sleepy-eyed  and 
hastily  dressed  in  a  wrapper. 

"Did  you  ring,  sir?"  she  asked. 

"Yes ;  tell  Mrs.  Darwin  I  wish  to  see  her.  Simply 
say  I  am  here;  you  understand?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  girl  went  to  her  mistress's  room,  opened  the 
door  and  entered.  Darwin  turned  to  the  detective. 
Sternly  he  said: 

"Mr.  Emerson  will  use  no  effort  to  leave  this 
house." 

"Yes,  sir." 

The  attorney  looked  at  Wilbur. 

"You  understand?" 

Wilbur  bowed. 

"I  understand." 

With  a  last  lingering  glance  in  the  direction  of 
Kathryn's  door,  he  left  the  room.  As  he  disap- 
peared Jane  came  in. 

268 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"She's  coming  right  out,  sir,"  she  said. 

"What  did  you  say?"  demanded  her  master. 

"That  you  wanted  to  see  her.  sir." 

"Was  she  asleep?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Did  you  see  Mr.  Em ?" 

His  question  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  the 
entrance  of  his  wife. 

"That's  all,  Jane,"  he  said  quickly.  "Wait  down- 
stairs till  you  are  wanted." 

"Yes,  sir." 


269 


CHAPTER  XVII 

DARWIN  closed  the  door  and,  returning  to 
his  seat  at  the  desk,  waited  for  his  wife 
to  appear.  He  was  prepared  to  hear  pa- 
tiently what  she  had  to  say.  His  trained,  legal 
mind  realized  the  injustice  of  condemning  un- 
heard. The  circumstances  were  outrageous,  the 
proofs  overwhelming,  but  still  it  was  possible  that 
the  presence  of  this  man  in  his  house  at  midnight 
for  two  long  hours  might  be  satisfactorily  ex- 
plained. Patiently,  judiciously  he  would  listen  to 
whatever  explanations  Kathryn  had  to  make. 

But  while  he  tried  to  take  comfort  in  this  line  of 
reasoning  and  control  his  nerves,  his  calm  exterior 
gave  little  hint  of  the  fury  that  was  raging  within. 
What  a  poor  fool  he  had  been,  how  blind,  how  cred- 
ulous! No  doubt  this  intrigue,  these  clandestine 
meetings  had  been  going  on  for  months,  and  he  had 
suspected  nothing.  He  had  returned  too  soon  and 
disturbed  a  lovers'  tete-a-tete.  Quickly  in  his  mind 
he  reviewed  his  relations  with  his  wife  since  their 

270 


THB    GAMBLERS 


marriage  —  her  coldness,  her  indifference,  her 
strange  aloofness.  The  truth  was  out  now.  She 
loved  another  man,  and  this  man  was  the  criminal 
whom  he  was  about  to  send  to  the  penitentiary. 
Everything  was  plain  to  him.  This  scoundrel 
Emerson,  not  content  with  robbing  the  depositors 
of  his  bank,  had  not  hesitated  to  rob  him  of  his 
own  wife.  This,  of  course,  meant  the  end  of 
everything.  No  explanations  could  contradict  the 
evidence  of  his  own  eyes.  The  culprits  were  caught 
flagrante  delicto. 

The  door  of  his  wife's  boudoir  opened  and  Kath- 
ryn  appeared.  She  was  still  fully  dressed;  her 
manner  apprehensive,  nervous  and  uneasy.  Darwin 
eyed  her  in  stern  silence.  Timidly  she  said: 

"Jane  told  me  you  had  arrived.  You've  changed 
your  plans?  I  thought  you  had  gone." 

"I  delayed  my  departure,"  he  answered  with 
studied  calmness.  "I'm  not  going  till  early  to- 
morrow." 

"Well,  why  don't  you  go  to  bed  and  get  some 
rest?" 

"I  don't  feel  sleepy,"  he  replied,  carelessly.  Wav- 
ing his  hand  to  a  seat,  he  went  on:  "I'm  sorry 

271 


THE    GAMBLERS 


to  disturb  you,  but  I —  Sit  down,  Kathryn,  I  want 
to  talk  to  you,  and  as  you  weren't  asleep,  it  doesn't 
matter,  does  it?  I'm  anxious — worried.  Of  late 
we've  been  getting  on  badly  together,  Kathryn — 
very  badly!  I  don't  know  where  we  are  drifting. 
We  don't  seem  to  have  a  single  thought  in  com- 
mon. That  scene  at  Emerson's  to-night  was  almost 
disgraceful." 

She  interrupted  him  hotly. 

"It  was  disgraceful,  and  I  said  so  at  the  time. 
You,  a  friend  of  old  Mr.  Emerson,  not  only  un- 
dertake this  case  against  him,  but  to  publicly  brand 
them  as  criminals  at  the  very  moment  that  I  am 
accepting  their  hospitality,  and  then  to  drag  me 
away  from  them  as  if  they  were  the  vilest  kind- 
She  stopped  and  looked  at  him  as  if  expecting  him 
to  say  something,  but  he  maintained  an  obstinate, 
sphinx-like  silence  that  intimidated  her  more  than 
ever.  Nervously  she  went  on:  "I'm  afraid  we 
shall  never  agree  on  that  point.  It  has  kept  me 
awake  thinking  of  it." 

At  last  he  broke  his  long  silence. 

"So  you  haven't  been  to  sleep  ?"  he  said,  sharply. 

"No,"  she  stammered. 

272 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"This  matter  troubled  you  so?" 

"Yes." 

"Was  it  my  actions  troubled  you,  or  the  fact  that 
your  dear  friends  are  in  danger?" 

She  did  not  answer,  but  sat  watching  the  flick- 
ering embers  in  the  grate.  His  gaze  still  fixed  in- 
tently on  her  and  slightly  raising  his  voice,  he 
went  on: 

"So  you  spent  the  rest  of  the  evening  and  nearly 
all  night  thinking  over  it?" 

"Yes." 

"It  must  have  been  rather  dull — lonely — no  one 
to  talk  to." 

"I'm  used  to  that,"  was  her  bitter  rejoinder. 

He  took  no  notice  of  her  retort  but,  changing 
his  tone,  asked : 

"Did  any  one  call  during  my  absence — or  ring 
up?  I  was  expecting  a  letter." 

Kathryn  started,  and  not  so  imperceptibly  that 
he  did  not  notice  it.  Hurriedly,  she  replied: 

"Oh,  yes — yes — a  letter  came  marked  'impor- 
tant'— so  I  put  it  in  my  room  for  safety." 

"Ah,  so  you  have  it?"  he  said,  quickly. 

"Yes." 

273 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"You  don't  know  what  it  contained?" 

"Just  a — some  papers,  I — I  think — I  know  it 
was  very  important.  Shall  I  get  it?" 

"Not  yet.     What  else  did  you  do?" 

"What  do  you  mean  by :  'What  else  did  I  do?'  " 

She  looked  up  quickly,  tossing  her  head  back 
indignantly,  almost  defiantly.  What  right  had  he 
to  sit  there  and  catechise  her  in  that  calm,  provok- 
ing way  ?  There  was  a  short,  awkward  silence,  and 
then  she  said,  crossly: 

"It's  very  late — and  I'm  very  sleepy — and 
tired " 

"I  thought  you  couldn't  sleep?"  exclaimed  Dar- 
win, a  sarcastic  smile  hovering  about  the  corners 
of  his  mouth. 

Kate  rose  and,  turning  her  back  on  him,  made 
a  pretence  of  looking  in  the  mirror,  over  the  man- 
tel, to  pull  her  combs  out: 

"It's  terribly  late.  If  you  don't  mind— I'd  like 
to  go  to  bed." 

She  was  moving  slowly  in  the  direction  of  her 
room,  when  he  halted  her  with  the  remark: 

"Oh,  by  the  way,  did  any  one  call  while  I  was 
away  ?" 

274 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"No— no  one " 

He  looked  at  her  fixedly,  searchingly,  and  her 
eyes  fell  under  his  penetrating  gaze.  Coldly  he  said : 

"No  one,  did  you  say?    Are  you  quite  sure?" 

For  a  moment  she  hesitated.  Why  need  he 
know?  The  next  instant  she  was  sorry.  It  was 
not  right.  He  was  her  husband.  Her  first  duty 
was  to  him.  It  was  not  loyal  to  hide  anything  from 
him.  Besides,  nothing  had  occurred  of  which  she 
need  be  ashamed.  Quickly  she  said: 

"Oh,  yes — I  forgot — some  one  called  to  see  you." 

"Some  one?"  inquired  Darwin. 

"A  gentleman." 

"So  late?     Who  was  it?" 

"Wilbur  Emerson." 

The  attorney  elevated  his  eyebrows  as  if  greatly 
surprised. 

"Wilbur  Emerson!"  he  exclaimed  in  apparent 
astonishment.  "What  did  he  want?" 

"He  didn't  say — that  is — he  said  something 
about — wanting  to  see  you  on  very  urgent  busi- 
ness." 

"Well,  I  suppose  you  sent  word  by  the  servant 
that  I  \vas  out  of  town  and  he  went  away? 

275 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"No.     I — I  saw  him,"  she  said,  hesitatingly. 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Darwin,  ironically,  "then  it 
wasn't  such  a  dull,  lonely  evening  after  all?" 

"No." 

"How  long  did  he  stay?" 

"Quite  some  time.  He's  so  worried  about  his 
father,  and " 

"So  he  remained  quite  some  time — confiding  his 
troubles  to  you?" 

Kathryn  made  an  appealing  gesture. 

"You  see,  James,  I  didn't  want  to  tell  you.  He 
asked  me  not  to  mention  the  fact  that — he  came 
under  such  peculiar  circumstances." 

"What  peculiar  circumstances?" 

"I  promised  that  I  wouldn't  mention  it  to  you — 
and  I — I  want  to  keep  my  promise.  James,  I'm 
so  sorry  for  Mr.  Emerson's  father.  Can't  you  help 
him?" 

"Why  should  he  come  and  tell  you  all  this  at 
midnight?" 

"He's  anxious — worried — I  suppose.  Perhaps  he 
didn't  think  it  was  so  late.  He  didn't  come  to  see 
me;  he  came  to  see  you." 

"But,  finding  I  was  not  here,  he  saw  you." 
276 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  I  suppose  that  —  that  is  what  hap- 
pened." 

Darwin  looked  at  her  in  silence  for  a  moment. 
With  studied  politeness,  he  said  coldly: 

"Am  I  sufficiently  in  your  confidence  to  enable 
you  to  tell  me  what  he  said?" 

"I  told  you.  He  wants  you  to  help  his  father — 
to  spare  him." 

"Oh — so  he  came  here  to-night  to  ask  me  to  spare 
his  father?" 

"That  was  one  of  the  reasons." 

"What  were  the  others?" 

She  hesitated  for  a  second  as  if  not  quite  sure 
what  to  do.  Then,  quickly,  she  said: 

"I  can't  tell  you  now." 

"Oh — you  can't  tell  me!"  he  exclaimed. 

She  held  out  her  hands,  appealingly,  trying  to 
make  him  see  the  matter  in  her  light. 

"James,  if  a  woman,  a  very  dear  friend — had 
asked  you  to — not  to — not  to  betray  her  confidence 
— not  to  tell  me  something  that  she  didn't  want 
me  to  know — and  you  had  promised  her  on  your 
honor  not  to — would  you  break  that  promise, 
merely  because  I  asked  you?" 

277 


THE    GAMBLERS 


His  manner  remained  unsympathetic,  uncompro- 
mising. 

"I  should  never  make  such  a  promise,"  he  replied, 
in  hard,  relentless  tones. 

"But  if  you  did — would  you  break  it?"  she  in- 
sisted. 

"If  it  was  my  duty  to  tell  you — yes.  If  you 
ought  to  know — yes." 

"Ah — I  see,"  she  said,  slowly. 

"Ought  I  to  know  this — this  secret?"  he  went  on. 

"Yes,  I — I  think  you  ought — yes." 

"Well,  what  is  it?" 

"But,  you  see,  I  promised  not  to." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Ironically  he  re- 
plied : 

"Oh!  I  ought  to  know,  but  your  promise  not  to 
betray  your  very  dear  friend's  confidence  prevents 
you  from  speaking !  It  must  be  a  very  strong  sense 
of  obligation  to  a  friend  that  prevents  you  from 
taking  your  husband  into  your  confidence."  See- 
ing that  she  still  hesitated,  he  added,  bitterly:  "I 
see  the  tie  that  binds  you  to  Mr.  Emerson  is 
stronger  than  the  tie  that  binds  you  to  me." 

Impulsively,  she  made  a  few  steps  toward  him. 
278 


THE    GAMBLERS 


His  manner  was  so  reserved,  so  chilling,  that  he 
repelled  her,  but  she  did  not  wish  him  to  think  her 
unkind,  or  unloyal : 

"Oh,  James — James!"  she  exclaimed,  "you  are 
my  husband." 

"Precisely,"  he  said,  bitterly. 

"Isabel  and  I,"  she  went  on,  "were  class- 
mates. Old  Mr.  Emerson  has  been  like  a  father  to 
me." 

"And  Wilbur — what  has  he  been  to  you?"  he 
demanded,  turning  with  a  sudden  fierceness  that 
startled  her. 

Ignoring  the  implied  insult  in  his  question,  she 
answered  calmly: 

"Isn't  it  natural  that  my  sympathies  should  be 
with  these  people  in  their  present  trouble  ?  I  prom- 
ised Mr.  Emerson  that  I  would  say  nothing  that 
would  hurt  his  case.  But  you  compel  me  to — you 
hear  that,  James  ?  You  are  forcing  me  to  do  what 
I  feel  is  dishonorable." 

"Dishonorable?" 

"Yes.  To  deliberately  break  a  promise  is  dis- 
honorable." 

"Dishonorable  to  him,  perhaps,"  laughed  Darwin, 
279 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"but  honorable  to  yourself  and  me."     Impatiently, 
he  cried:     "Come — the  truth " 

Kathryn  was  silent.  She  was  trying  to  think,  to 
gain  time.  In  her  heart  raged  a  tumult  of  con- 
fused, conflicting  emotions,  resentment  against  the 
man  who,  so  punctilious,  cold  and  merciless,  was 
not  to  be  swerved  from  what  he  termed  public  duty, 
and  anxiety  to  do  What  was  right  both  by  her  hus- 
band and  her  friends.  After  all,  she  meditated, 
it  was  not  exactly  fair  to  conceal  the  true  facts 
from  her  husband.  He  ought  to  be  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  real  reason  for  Wilbur  Emer- 
son's call,  even  if  only  in  justice  to  herself,  for  he 
appeared  now  to  be  laboring  under  an  entirely  erro- 
neous impression.  In  justice  to  herself  she  ought 
to  let  him  understand  the  situation  as  it  was.  Fi- 
nally she  said: 

"Perhaps  you  are  right,  James.  When  I  came 
into  this  room  to-night  I  saw  what  I  thought  was 
a  common  burglar — searching  among  the  papers 
on  your  desk.  It  was  Mr.  Wilbur  Emerson.  He 
confessed  to  me  that  he  had  come  to — to  prevent 
some  important  communication  falling  into  your 
hands." 

280 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Why  didn't  you  call  for  help — ring  for  the  ser- 
vants?" demanded  Darwin,  interrupting  her. 

"I  did.  The  cook  had  gone  to  bed.  I  rang  for 
Jane." 

"Oh,  you  did?  Well,  let's  see  what  Jane  says 
about  it."  Pressing  a  button  at  his  desk,  he  went 
on:  "Burglary,  eh?  Another  of  his  accomplish- 
ments— and  this  is  the  man  for  whom  you  ask  sym- 
pathy !  Upon  my  word,  I  think  you  women  admire 
deviltry." 

"You  don't  trust  me?"  said  Kathryn  reproach- 
fully. 

"Not  where  you  and  he  are  concerned !"  retorted 
Darwin  quickly. 

"You  don't  trust  me,  James?"  she  repeated  with 
rising  intonation. 

"No,  I  do  not,"  he  replied,  savagely.  "I  hate 
this  man,  Wilbur  Emerson!  I  can't  get  it  out  of 
my  mind  that  deep  down  in  your  heart  you — you 
think  more  of  him  than  you  do  of  me.  You  re- 
member telling  me  that  he  was  your  first  love,  I 
suppose  ?" 

"I  wanted  you  to  know.  I  thought  it  was  only 
fair  to  tell  you." 

281 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Well,  do  you  wonder  that  I  jump  at  conclusions 
where  you  and  he  are  concerned?" 

"No,"  she  answered,  disdainfully.  "I  wonder 
at  nothing — I  only  wonder  that  I  care  what  you  say 
or  do." 

He  was  about  to  make  an  angry  retort  when 
there  came  a  knock  at  the  door  and  Jane  appeared. 
Quickly  her  mistress  said: 

"Jane,  when  I  rang  the  bell  to-night " 

Darwin  interrupted  her. 

"Allow  me."  Turning  to  the  maid,  he  said : 
"Did  you  answer  the  bell  at  the  time  Mr.  Emerson 
was  here?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Did  you  see  Mr.  Emerson?" 

"No,  sir." 

"Who  was  in  the  room  besides  Mrs.  Dar- 
win?" 

"I  didn't  see." 

"Didn't  see!"  exclaimed  the  attorney,  in  blank 
astonishment. 

"I — I  didn't  come  into  the  room,  sir,"  explained 
the  girl. 

"Why  not?"  he  demanded. 
282 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I— I- 


She  stopped  and  glanced  sheepishly  at  her  mis- 
tress, who  motioned  her  to  proceed. 

"Please  answer  his  question,  Jane." 

"I— I  couldn't,  sir." 

"Why  not?" 

"The  door  was  locked,  sir." 

"Yes,"  interrupted  Kathryn,  hastily.  "Quite 
true.  It  was  locked,  but  Mr.  Emerson " 

Ignoring-  his  wife's  interruption,  the  attorney 
went  on  questioning  the  girl. 

"Did  you  try  to  open  the  door?" 

"Yes,  sir.  I  knocked — but — Mrs.  Darwin  said 
it  was  all  right — that  I  could  go." 

"She  told  you  that  it  was  all  right — that  you 
could  go — and  you  went?" 

"Yes,  sir."  Fearing  that  she  had  been  trapped 
into  saying  something  compromising  to  her  mis- 
tress, the  girl  looked  apprehensively  at  Kathryn. 
"I  hope,  Madam,  that  I — that  nothing  that  I've 
said " 

"That's  all,"  interrupted  Darwin,  curtly. 

The  maid  turned  angrily  on  him.  Even  humble 
hirelings  have  nerves,  and  the  extraordinary  events 

283 


THE    GAMBLERS 


of  the  evening  had  been  enough  to  exasperate  the 
equanimity  of  a  saint. 

"Yes,  sir!"  she  exclaimed,  hotly.  "The  man 
downstairs  said  I'd  probably  be  called  on  to  give 
evidence  in  court.  You'll  pardon  me,  sir,  but  I 
won't  do  it.  No,  sir!  From  this  very  minute  I 
know  nothing — and  wild  horses  couldn't  drag  a 
word  out  of  me!" 

Having  relieved  herself  by  this  outburst,  she 
bounced  indignantly  out  of  the  room.  Darwin 
looked  at  his  wife. 

"And  you  ask  me  to  spare ?"  he  laughed, 

cynically. 

"Let  me  explain,  James.  Mr.  Emerson  threat- 
ened  " 

"No! — no!"  he  interrupted,  angrily,  with  a  wave 
of  his  hand.  "No  more  explanations !  no  more  lies ! 
The  whole  story  is  a  pure  invention  agreed  upon 
by  you  two  in  the  event  of  my  finding  out  that  your 
lover  was  here " 

Pale  with  anger,  Kathryn  drew  herself  up  to  her 
full  height.  Tears  came  to  her  eyes  and  her  bosom 
heaved  convulsively  with  the  pent-up  emotion  she 
was  trying  to  control.  She  was  hurt  in  everything 

284 


THE    GAMBLERS 


a  woman  holds  dearest.  There  are  some  accusa- 
tions so  atrocious,  so  vile  as  to  be  unworthy  of 
notice.  This  was  one  of  them.  In  uttering  those 
brutal  words  her  husband  had  wantonly  trampled 
on  what  she  held  most  sacred — her  honor,  her  self- 
respect.  That  she  would  never  forget  or  forgive. 
This  was  the  very  end  of  everything  between  them. 
He  could  go  his  way;  she  would  go  hers.  Yet, 
even  now,  she  was  unwilling  to  have  him  believe 
her  capable  of  wrongdoing. 

"My  lover!  No,  good  God!  No,  James,  when 
I  asked  him  not  to  take  the  letter  that  had  been 
left  for  you — he — he  acted  honorably " 

Darwin  left  his  seat  and  began  to  pace  the  floor. 

"Honorably!"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  sneer. 
"Why,  even  according  to  your  own  story  the  man's 
a  scoundrel — and  what  a  story! — a  common  thief 
comes  here  to  steal;  you  make  no  outcry,  no  effort 
to  have  him  arrested.  And  when  your  servant 
comes  to  the  door  and  finds  it  locked,  you  tell  her 
it's  all  right — that  she  can  go — and  you  expect  me 
to  sit  down  and  calmly  swallow  this  tissue  of  im- 
probabilities. He  acted  honorably,  did  he?" 

"It's  true— true— before  God,  it's  true!"  Once 
285 


THE    GAMBLERS 


more   she   forgot   her  dignity  and    implored   him : 
"James — spare  him!" 

"Spare  him,  eh?"  he  echoed,  cynically.  "I  guess 
not." 

Going  quickly  to  the  door,  he  opened  it  and  called 
out,  loudly: 

"Hicks,  bring  that  fellow  up  here!" 

Kathryn,  almost  distracted,  ran  after  him,  trying 
to  placate  his  anger,  ready  to  agree  to  anything  if 
only  an  unpleasant  scene  could  be  avoided. 

"I'll  get  the  package,"  she  cried,  beseechingly. 
"I'll  show  you  that  I'm  telling  the  truth." 

He  paid  no  attention  to  her,  but  waited,  grim  and 
determined  looking,  for  the  coming  of  Wilbur. 
Kathryn,  almost  hysterical,  blinded  by  her  tears, 
staggered  in  the  direction  of  her  bedroom,  sobbing: 

"He  won't  believe  me!    He  won't  believe  me!" 

Darwin  looked  after  her,  a  cynical  smile  of  in- 
credulity on  his  lips.  All  this  hysteria,  all  these 
tears,  were  lost  on  him.  In  spite  of  her  denials,  he 
felt  instinctively  that  his  wife  did  not  love  him. 
Their  marriage  had  been  a  sham,  a  hollow  mockery. 
She  loved  this  thief  whom  she  was  trying  so  hard 
to  shield. 

286 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Curse  him!"  he  muttered  to  himself  in  an  un- 
dertone. "He  has  robbed  me  of  my  wife,  but  he 
shall  pay  for  it!" 

Suddenly  a  smile  flashed  across  the  gloom  of  his 
face.  An  idea  had  occurred  to  him.  What  more 
subtle  or  more  fitting  punishment  than  that  Kathryn 
should  prefer  a  charge  of  burglary  against  him — 
the  man  she  loved?  The  facts  were  there.  She 
could  not  evade  them.  With  a  bitter  laugh,  he 
struck  the  desk  vehemently  and  exclaimed  with  an 
oath: 

"I'll  do  it— I'll  do  it!    By  God,  I  will!" 

As  he  spoke,  the  door  opened  and  Wilbur  en- 
tered, followed  by  Hicks.  Another  Central  Office 
man  remained  discreetly  in  the  rear.  The  attorney 
glared  at  Wilbur,  who  was  now  virtually  a  pris- 
oner, and  was  about  to  address  him  when  Kathryn 
re-entered  from  her  boudoir.  In  her  hand  was  the 
blue  envelope,  which  she  kept  concealed.  She  was 
about  to  speak,  when  Darwin  silenced  her  with  a 
look.  Turning  to  the  prisoner,  he  said,  sternly : 

"Mr.  Emerson,  by  your  own  confession  you  en- 
tered this  house  to-night  with  the  object  of  stealing 

certain  correspondence  addressed  to  me " 

287 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur  protested.  With  a  start  of  indignant  sur- 
prise, he  exclaimed: 

"You  gave  me  your  word  of  honor  that  my  con- 
fession shouldn't  be  used  against  me!" 

"Word  of  honor  to  a  thief  doesn't  obtain," 
sneered  Darwin.  "Apart  from  that,  Mrs.  Darwin 
has  informed  me  that  she  is  about  to  make  a  charge 
of  burglary  against  you."  Kathryn  made  a  quick 
gesture  of  indignant  protest.  But  her  husband, 
taking  no  heed,  proceeded:  "She  is  the  only  wit- 
ness. If  you  are  sent  to  prison  as  a  common  thief 
you  will  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  she 
sent  you  there."  Turning  to  his  wife,  he  added, 
savagely:  "And  you  shall  have  the  satisfaction  of 
sending  him  there." 

Overwhelmed,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  power- 
less to  interfere  or  intercede,  Kathryn  staggered  to 
a  chair.  The  room  seemed  to  go  round.  Her  hus- 
band's hard,  unsympathetic  voice  sounded  a  great 
distance  away.  Wilbur  bowed  his  head  and  said 
nothing.  Darwin  continued : 

"All  this  apart  from  the  fact  that  the  Federal 
case  against  you  and  your  father  will  be  pressed  to 
the  uttermost — to  the  uttermost!  The  charge  of 

288 


THE    GAMBLERS 


from  doing  what  I  consider  my  duty.  The  letter 
is  my  property.  Is  it  not  addressed  to  me?  How 
dare  you  withhold  it?  Do  you  wish  me  to  include 
you  in  the  same  class  as  that  unprincipled  rogue 
who  has  just  left  here?" 

"I  have  not  got  it,"  she  repeated. 

With  a  savage  exclamation,  he  seized  her  hands 
and,  while  she  struggled,  felt  for  the  envelope.  To 
his  amazement,  it  was  not  there.  Clever  as  he 
thought  himself,  he  had  been  outwitted. 

"Where  is  it?"  he  thundered,  raising  his  hand 
with  a  threatening  gesture. 

She  thought  he  was  about  to  strike  her,  but  she 
did  not  care.  She  was  so  wrought  up,  so  outraged 
in  her  feelings  that  she  w'ould  have  welcomed  any- 
thing so  that  the  inevitable  breach  between  them 
might  be  hastened.  Breathless  from  the  unequal 
struggle,  her  face  white  as  death,  her  hair  all  di- 
shevelled, still  defiant,  she  looked  like  some  beau- 
tiful goddess  in  anger. 

Darwin  looked  at  her  in  shamefaced  fashion.  He 
was  sorry  now  that  he  had  gone  to  such  extremes. 
The  package  was  not  there.  Perhaps  she  had  found 
a  way  to  pass  it  to  him.  Quickly  he  said : 

293 


THH    GAMBLERS 


"If  you've  given  it  to  him  they'll  find  it  on  him 
when  they  search  him  at  the  police  station.  Now, 
please  dress  as  quickly  as  possible  and  come  with 
me." 

She  stood  still,  making  no  attempt  to  obey  his  or- 
ders. Her  face  was  white,  her  expression  deter- 
mined. He  looked  up. 

"Did  you  hear  What  I  said?"  he  repeated.  "Go 
and  get  dressed." 

"I  shall  dress  as  quickly  as  possible,"  she  replied, 
calmly.  "But  I  am  not  going  with  you!" 

The  attorney  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

"Where  are  you  going?" 'he  demanded. 

"Anywhere — away  from  you!" 

"You're  going  to  leave  me?"  he  asked,  uneasily. 

"Yes — leave  you!"  she  said,  determinedly. 

Darwin  advanced  towards  her,  with  hands  out- 
stretched. In  more  conciliatory  manner,  he  said: 

"Kathryn,  now  that  this  man  is  behind  the  bars, 
I  am  willing  to — in  time,  I  may  forgive— 

"Forgive!"  she  cried,  scornfully.  "What  is 
there  to  forgive? — my  sympathizing  with  my 
friends  in  their  misfortune?  Forgive — you'll  for- 
give, will  you?  Ah,  I'm  sick  of  your  canting 

294 


THE    GAMBLERS 


hypocrisy!  You  boast  that  you  hate  evil  and  evil- 
doers, and  you  are  more  evil  than  the  very  worst 
of  the  wretches  you  persecute,  for  you  create  pit- 
falls for  them  to  stumble  into !  You'll  forgive,  in- 
deed! If  I  am  a  bad  woman  will  your  forgiveness 
make  me  a  good  woman?  If  I  am  what  you  think 
I  am,  I  don't  deserve  your  forgiveness;  if  I'm  not, 
I  don't  need  it;  in  either  case,  I  don't  want  it." 
"Will  you  appear  against  this  man?" 
"Help  you  gratify  your  vengeance?"  she  cried. 
"No— no— no!" 

Darwin  regarded  her  in  silence  for  a  moment. 
Then  he  said,  sternly: 

"Your  refusal  is  an  admission  of  your  guilt!" 
"All  right!"  she  cried,  in  ringing  tones  of  de- 
fiance, "then  I'm  guilty — and  I  glory  in  my  guilt, 
for  at  least  it  will  unlock  the  doors  of  this  prison 
and  set  me  free — free  from  all  this  impossible  self- 
righteousness,  this  pose  of  holiness — free  from  a 
man  whose  sole  purpose  in  life  is  to  avenge — to 
punish — to  inflict  pain  on  the  poor  fallen  wretches 
who,  when  they  struggle  to  rise  out  of  the  depths 
of  their  misfortune,  are  hurled  back  by  the  aveng- 
ing hand  of  James  Darwin !  You  have  pronounced 

295 


THE    GAMBLERS 


me  guilty — so  be  it — I've  lost  my  good  name,  my 
respectability,  my  honor,  but  the  compensation  is 
that  I  have  lost  you!" 

The  next  instant  she  was  in  her  room  and  had 
locked  the  door  in  his  face. 


296 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

IT  was  a  sorry  looking  lot  of  men  who  were 
gathered   together  the   next   morning   in   the 
library  of  the  Emerson  residence. 
Tooker,  Raymond  and  Cowper  had  remained  up 
most  of  the  night,  waiting   for  Wilbur's  return, 
and  as  the  hours  wore  on  and  he  did  not  come, 
they  became  more  and  more  anxious  and  appre^ 
hensive,  fearing  that  the  worst  had  happened  and 
that  any  moment  detectives  might  arrive  with  war- 
rants for  their  arrest.    Cowper,  who  had  seen  Wil- 
bur last,  could  tell  them  nothing.     His  statements 
were  vague  and  confusing.     Wilbur,  he  said,  had 
suddenly  conceived  an  idea  that  he  knew  where 
the  missing  notes  were.    He  had  gone  to  get  them, 
to  make  a  last,  desperate  attempt  to  ward  off  the 
threatened   blow.      Where   he   had   gone   or  with 
what  probability  of  success,  he  did  not  know.    They 
must  have  patience  and  wait  for  his  return. 
The  party  was  at  an  end.     The  last  guest  drove 
297 


THE    GAMBLERS 


away,  the  butler  extinguished  the  lights.  Isabel 
and  her  father  excused  themselves  and  went  to 
bed,  but  still  the  three  men  sat  there,  smoking  in 
silence,  waiting  to  know  their  fate.  One  o'clock, 
two  o'clock,  three  o'clock  struck,  and  still  Wilbur 
did  not  come.  The  situation  grew  more  critical, 
more  serious  every  minute,  and  that  both  Tooker 
and  Raymond  fully  realized  the  gravity  of  their 
predicament  was  plainly  evidenced  by  their  fre- 
quent journeys  to  the  buffet.  While  they  drank 
freely  and  often  to  drown  uncomfortable  prickings 
of  conscience  and  the  growing  sense  of  dread,  Cow- 
per  sat  apart,  his  head  buried  in  his  hands,  marvel- 
ling within  himself  how  he  could  have  fallen  so 
low  as  to  play  the  despicable  role  of  Judas.  If 
the  kindly  Mr.  Emerson — to  whom  he  was  in- 
debted for  many  favors — were  disgraced,  if  Wil- 
bur and  these  men,  his  associates  and  friends,  went 
to  prison,  he  would  be  the  cause.  The  very  thought 
was  maddening.  He  could  not  endure  it.  If  re- 
pentance had  come  too  late,  if  the  harm  done  could 
not  be  undone,  there  was  only  one  thing  for  him 
to  do — blow  his  brains  out. 

At    half-past   three   Tooker   and    Raymond    de- 
298 


THE    GAMBLERS 


clared  they  would  not  wait  any  longer.  It  was 
evident  that  something  had  happened  to  Wilbur. 
Probably  he  would  come  and  communicate  with 
them  before  the  bank  opened  in  the  morning.  It 
was  useless  to  sit  up.  They  would  go  home,  take 
a  nap,  change  their  clothes  and  come  back  at  nine 
o'clock.  Cowper  thought  this  a  good  suggestion, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  all  three  men  left  the 
house  together. 

The  next  morning  the  Emerson  household  was 
astir  early.  Mr.  Emerson  usually  breakfasted  at 
eight  o'clock,  but  to-day  he  was  up  and  about  be- 
fore seven.  The  old  gentleman  had  slept  badly. 
What  he  had  heard  the  previous  evening  was  a 
terrible  shock — a  startling  revelation  of  the  condi- 
tion of  affairs  at  the  bank  as  well  as  a  blow  to 
his  pride.  He  blamed  himself  for  giving  his  son 
so  much  authority.  While  he  still  had  his  health, 
he  should,  have  retained  full  control.  Not  that  he 
entertained  any  serious  apprehension  that  matters 
could  not  be  adjusted  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to 
the  banking  department.  His  son  had  not  really 
done  wrong.  At  most,  he  was  guilty  of  a  tech- 
nical violation  of  the  banking  laws.  The  reputation 

299 


THE    GAMBLERS 


which  the  Emerson  Bank  had  enjoyed  for  years 
would  surely  stand  for  something.  He  would  in- 
tercede with  Mr.  Darwin  himself.  If  necessary,  he 
would  go  to  Washington  and  secure  the  support 
of  influential  friends.  But  first  he  must  have  a 
private  talk  with  Wilbur. 

"Thomas,"  he  said  to  the  butler,  who  was  pour- 
ing the  coffee,  "tell  Mr.  Wilbur  I'd  like  him  to 
come  down  to  breakfast.  Say  I  want  to  speak  to 
him." 

The  butler,  an  old  and  faithful  family  servant, 
looked  uncomfortable.  He  was  fond  of  his  mas- 
ter and  did  not  like  to  upset  him.  How  could 
he  tell  him  that  Mr.  Wilbur  had  not  been  home 
all  night?  While  wondering  how  he  could  meet 
the  dilemma,  he  passed  the  toast. 

"Never  mind  passing  things,"  exclaimed  the  old 
banker,  testily.  "Didn't  you  hear  what  I  told  you  ? 
Go  and  ask  Mr.  Wilbur  to  come  down." 

The  butler  coughed  and  shuffled  uneasily  on  his 
feet.  Finally,  unable  to  conceal  the  truth  any 
longer,  he  stammered: 

"Yes — sir — but,  I'm  sorry,  sir,  Mr.  Wilbur's  not 
there,  sir." 

300 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  old  man  laid  down  his  cup  and  looked  up 
in  blank  astonishment. 

"Not  there,  Thomas !  You  must  be  mistaken.  It 
is  only  eight  o'clock." 

"Yes,  sir,  but  he's  not  in  his  room,  sir.  The  bed 
is  not  disturbed.  Mr.  Wilbur  has  been  away  since 
last  night." 

A  look  of  alarm  came  over  the  banker's  face. 
What  was  the  meaning  of  this  strange  absence? 
Where  could  Wilbur  be?  Was  it  possible  that, 
fearing  trouble,  he  had  gone  away,  intending  to 
come  back  when  things  blew  over?  Or  had  he 
gone  to  the  bank,  to  prepare  for  a  possible  run? 
Perhaps  he  would  find  him  there.  He  would  go 
at  once  and  see.  Rising  hastily,  he  said: 

"Give  me  my  hat  and  cane,  Thomas.  I'm  going 
out.  Don't  say  anything  to  Miss  Isabel.  I'll  be 
back  soon." 

He  left  the  house,  and  the  butler,  with  a  shake 
of  the  head,  expressive  of  strong  disapproval  of 
all  these  unaccustomed  happenings  in  the  usually 
quiet  and  staid  Emerson  home,  went  on  with  his 
work  of  removing  the  traces  of  the  previous  night's 
party. 

301 


GAMBLERS 


Promptly  at  nine  o'clock  the  front  door  bell 
rang  and  George  Cowper  reappeared.  Eagerly  he 
asked  : 

"Has  Mr.  Wilbur  returned?" 

"No,  sir,  not  yet." 

Going  into  the  library,  the  director  resumed  the 
long,  weary  vigil,  interrupted  only  a  few  hours  be- 
fore, and  very  soon  he  was  joined  by  Tooker  and 
Raymond.  Almost  simultaneously  they  ejaculated: 

"Not  here  yet — no  word  from  him?" 

Cowper  gloomily  shook  his  head. 

"No,  not  a  word." 

They  sat  down  and  waited,  as  they  had  sat  the 
previous  night,  almost  in  the  same  position,  wait- 
ing to  hear  what  Wilbur  had  done  about  the  notes. 
While  Cowper  sat  at  the  window,  gloomily  look- 
ing out  into  the  street,  Tooker  and  Raymond  were 
quarreling : 

"You  can  say  what  you  like,"  growled  Raymond, 
"I  call  it  a  d d  suspicious  circumstance." 

"I  didn't  say  it  wasn't,"  snapped  Tooker.  "What 
I  said  was  this:  Wilbur  Emerson  is  a  man  of  his 
word  and  if  he  said  he'd  be  here,  he'll  be  here." 

"But  he  isn't  here,  is  he?" 
302 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"There's  a  reason  for  it." 

"Of  course,  there's  a  reason,"  barked  Raymond, 
savagely.  "There's  a  reason  for  everything,  but  it 
may  be  a  reason  we  won't  approve  of!" 

"The  queer  thing,"  said  Tooker,  scratching  his 
head,  "is  that  he  told  us  to  wait.  He  must  have 
expected  to  return."  Looking  across  the  room  at 
Covvper,  he  added :  "He  told  you  to  wait,  didn't 
he?" 

Cowper  nodded. 

"Yes,  and  he  told  me  to  tell  you  to  wait." 

"I  give  it  up — it's  too  much  for  me,"  declared 
Raymond,  with  an  aggrieved  air. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think,"  said  Cowper. 

"Maybe  we  shan't  see  him  again.  Perhaps  he's 
skipped,"  suggested  Tooker. 

Cowper  shook  his  head. 

"No,  Wilbur's  not  the  kind  of  man  to  desert 
us  in  trouble.  If  he's  not  here,  it's  because  he 
couldn't  help  it." 

"Were  you  at  the  bank  this  morning?"  inquired 
Raymond,  suddenly. 

"Yes,  he  wasn't  there;  everything  seemed  the 
same  as  usual." 

303 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Of  course,"  said  Raymond,  "the  bank  examiner 
hasn't  made  the  matter  public  yet.  The  next  move 
will  be  to  arrest  us." 

"That  will  look  worse,  won't  it  ?"  said  Tooker. 

"Oh,  oh,  if  I'd  only  known!"  said  Cowper, 
wringing  his  hands.  "It's  Wilbur's  fault — all  his 
fault.  Why  did  he  insist  on  our  fighting  the  great 
big  syndicates?  He  might  have  known  they'd 
crush  us  to  pieces."  Going  to  the  buffet,  he  poured 
out  a  glass  of  brandy. 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  drink  any  more,  Cow- 
per!" protested  Raymond;  "that's  your  fifth  this 
morning." 

"A  man's  got  to  keep  up  his  nerve,"  said  Cowper, 
doggedly.  Angrily,  he  went  on:  "A  prison  cell — 
staring  him  in  the  face —  By  God,  I  won't  go !  I 
won't  go !  I've  done  nothing  and  I'm  not  going  to 
suffer  for  other  people's  ambition." 

"Take  it  easy,  old  man,"  interrupted  Tooker,  as 
he  coolly  lit  a  cigar.  "It  isn't  as  bad  as  all  that. 
We've  only  committed  the  technical  crime  of  bor- 
rowing over  our  capital.  Lots  of  'em  do  it — it's 
only  a  Government  bluff." 

Cowper,  who  listened  eagerly,  interrupted: 
304 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Darwin  told  me  he  can  send  us  all  up  for  five 
years  at  least — five  years — good  God!  I  couldn't 
stand  it  a  week!" 

Both  men  stared  at  him. 

"Darwin?  When  did  you  see  Darwin?"  cried 
Raymond. 

Seeing  that  he  had  almost  betrayed  himself,  CoW- 
per  stammered: 

"I — I  met  him — he — I  met  him " 

Before  he  could  complete  the  sentence,  old  Mr. 
Emerson  entered  hurriedly.  He  gave  a  quick 
glance  round  the  room,  as  if  expecting  to  find  his 
son  sitting  there.  Not  finding  him,  an  expression 
of  disappointment  and  worry  came  over  his  face. 
Nervously  he  said: 

"Good  morning,  gentlemen.  Has  anybody  seen 
Wilbur?  I've  been  unable  to  find  any  trace  of  him. 
He  went  out  at  eleven  o'clock  last  night,  and  has 
not  returned.  Where  is  he?  Do  any  of  you 
know?" 

"We  would  like  to  know  ourselves,  Mr.  Emer- 
son," said  Raymond,  dryly.  "Have  you  had  no 
word  from  your  son,  sir?" 

"None  whatever,"  replied  the  old  gentleman. 
305 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Do  you  think  he's  at  the  bank?"  asked  looker. : 

"No,  I  inquired,"  said  Mr.  Emerson,  "he  has  not 
been  there." 

"He  may  be  on  his  way  to  South  America,"  sug- 
gested Raymond  sourly. 

Tooker  gave  his  fellow  director  a  nudge  in  the 
ribs. 

"Hush!    Don't  talk  that  way." 

Mr.  Emerson  shook  his  head.     Sadly  he  said: 

"No.  I  fear  something  far  more  serious  has  hap- 
pened. I — I — I  blame  myself  very  much  for  this 
matter.  I  should  not  have  allowed  him  to  take 
the  reins.  I  am  the  older  man,  and  I  allowed  him 
to  lead  me — the  one  mistake  of  a  long  business  ca- 
reer. But  I  had  such  implicit  confidence  in  his 
ability.  Don't  blame  the  poor  boy." 

"I'm  not  blaming  any  one,  except  myself,"  said 
Tooker,  grimly.  "I  went  in  with  my  eyes  open. 
Wilbur's  all  right — and  the  proof  is,  we  can  pay  our 
depositors  one  hundred  and  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar. 
It  was  expansion  that  upset  everything.  It  called 
the  attention  of  the  big  sharks  to  us." 

"Where  is  Wilbur  now?"  chuckled  Raymond. 
"Expansion — looks  to  me  more  like  contraction!" 

306 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Don't  get  peevish!"  growled  Tooker. 

Cowper,  who  had  been  listening  in  silence,  could 
contain  himself  no  longer.  Abruptly  he  burst  out: 

"I'll  tell  you  where  he  is.  He  went  to  get  our 
notes — he  found  out  they  were  at  Darwin's  house 
and  he  went  to  get  them." 

"Get  them — how?"  exclaimed  Tooker,  surprised 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Cowper,  doggedly. 

''Rubbish!"  ejaculated  Tooker. 

To  steady  his  nerves,  Cowper  took  another 
drink.  Raymond  looked  at  him  with  contempt. 

"You'd  better  stop  drinking  that  stuff,"  he  said. 

Mr.  Emerson  raised  his  hand,  as  if  to  pacify  and 
conciliate  the  disputants.  Forcing  himself  to  ap- 
pear calm,  he  said: 

"Come — no  news  is  good  news.  We  shall  come 
out  all  right,  I  feel  quite  sure.  Wilbur's  motives 
were  good — it's  the  motives  that  count." 

"That's  what  I  told  Darwin,"  said  Cowper.  "He 
says  it  doesn't  make  a  damn  bit  of  difference — 
about  motives — the  law  is  the  law." 

"Perfectly  true — trying  to  shift  the  blame  off 
his  son,"  growled  Raymond. 

"It's  the  old  story,"  chuckled  Tooker,  philosoph- 
307 


\ 


THE    GAMBLERS 


ically,  "if  we'd  succeeded — we'd  have  patted  our- 
selves on  the  back  and  called  ourselves  great  busi- 
ness men — but  we  failed — and  we're  all  trying  to 
put  the  blame  on  the  other  fellow." 

"Please — please,  gentlemen."  Mr.  Emerson 
raised  his  voice.  "I  am  not  justifying  my  son.  But 
I  do  believe  the  boy  was  honest  in  his  intention 
and  was  driven  to  it  by  the  unfair  methods  of  our 
competitors." 

"I'd  give  every  dollar  I  have  to  be  out  of  it!" 
Cowper  cried.  "Every  dollar — every " 

Before  he  could  finish  the  sentence,  the  door  of 
the  library  was  thrown  roughly  open  and  Wilbur 
entered. 


308 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  young  banker  still  had  on  the  dress  coat 
and  automobile  duster  which  he  had  worn 
the  evening  before.  His  tie  was  awry  and 
shirt  bosom  rumpled.  His  face  was  pale  and 
showed  traces  of  fatigue.  A  chorus  of  exclama- 
tions greeted  him. 

"Well,  here  you  are  at  last!" 

Mr.  Emerson  hastened  to  meet  him. 

"Wilbur — my  boy — where  have  you  been?" 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Wilbur,  "I'm  late — very  sorry 
— but  I  was  detained." 

"Detained?"  echoed  Cowper,  incredulous. 

"As  a  matter  of  fact,"  went  on  Wilbur,  "I  slept 
last  night  at  the  police  station,  where  I  had  been 
taker,  on  a  charge  of  burglary." 

"Burglary!"  exclaimed  his  father,  in  amazement. 

"Yes,"  went  on  his  son.  "I  thought  I  saw  a 
way  out  of  our  difficulties  and  I  called  at  Darwin's 
house  to  try  and  arrange  the  affair.  I  got  nothing 

309 


THE,    GAMBLERS 


for  my  pains  but  a  most  uncomfortable  night. 
This  morning  Mrs.  Darwin  refused  to  make  a 
charge  and  the  case  was  dismissed.  The  judge 
thought  it  was  a  practical  joke.  Fortunately,  the 
newspaper  men  thought  I  was  arrested  for  speed- 
ing and  didn't  recognize  me." 

"Why  didn't  you  send  for  me,  my  boy?"  ex- 
claimed his  father. 

"Wake  you  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night?" 
faughed  Wilbur.  "No,  dad,  I've  brought  quite 
enough  trouble  on  you  and  I  wanted  to  keep  it  out 
of  the  papers.  Well,  I  know:  this  much :  Darwin 
has  our  notes  and  a  sworn  statement  of  the  trans- 
action involving  us  all." 

"A  sworn  statement?"  ejaculated  Raymond. 

"By  whom?"  exclaimed  Tooker. 

Cowper,  almost  panic-stricken,  quickly  attracted 
Wilbur's  attention  and  by  a  gesture  made  a  plea 
for  secrecy. 

"It  will  come  out  later,"  said  Wilbur,  calmly. 
"In  the  meantime,  if  possible,  that  statement  must 
be  contradicted — denied — withdrawn — eh,  Cowper  ? 
What  do  you  think?  Can  it  be  done?" 

"Yes — yes — I  think  so — yes,"  replied  Cowper. 
310 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Raymond  looked  up.    Quickly  he  asked : 

"Have  you  thought  of  a  plan  to — to ?" 

"I  have,"  said  Wilbur.  "Oh,  last  night's  expe- 
rience wasn't  entirely  wasted.  While  awaiting  my 
turn  to  appear  before  the  magistrate  this  morning, 
I  entered  into  conversation  with  a  little  police  court 
lawyer — a  smart  little  fellow  with  a  Russian  ac- 
cent, who  wanted  to  defend  me  for  a  ten-dollar 
bill.  I  put  the  whole  case  to  him  as  a  hypothetical 
question.  Inside  of  ten  minutes  that  little  man 
solved  the  whole  problem.  It's  so  simple.  I  won- 
der I  didn't  think  of  it  myself." 

"Let's  have  it,"  chuckled  Tooker. 

Wilbur  gave  a  quick,  nervous  glance  round  the 
room,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  there  were  no  eaves- 
droppers. Then  he  said: 

"You  four  men  must  apply  for  a  warrant  for 
my  arrest.  You  must  accuse  me  of  making  a  mis- 
use of  your  notes.  You  gave  them  to  me  to  raise 
money  and,  unknown  to  you,  I  borrowed  our  own 
funds.  In  my  father's  case  that  is  an  absolute  fact." 

"A  very  good  idea,  if  you  can  carry  it  through," 
chuckled  Raymond,  glad  to  hear  of  any  plan  which 
would  exonerate  himself. 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  I  think  so,"  chimed  in  Cowper,  eagerly. 

"I  don't  quite  see "  objected  Tooker.     "It 

doesn't  seem  right  for  us  to  accuse  you." 

"Why  not?"  demanded  Raymond. 

"No,"  said  Tooker,  positively.  "I  draw  the  line 
at  making  an  accusation  against  you." 

Mr.  Emerson,  who  until  now  had  listened  in 
silence,  raised  his  hand  in  protest 

"I  refuse,  absolutely,"  he  said,  firmly. 

"I  expected  opposition  from  you,  father,"  said 
Wilbur,  "but " 

"If  you  are  to  be  punished,"  went  on  Mr. 
Emerson,  "let  the  proper  authorities  bring  it 
about." 

"It  is  not  a  question  of  my  punishment,"  said 
Wilbur,  quickly,  "but  of  diverting  the  responsibility 
from  you,  and  it's  the  real  inward  truth.  You— 
none  of  you — really  knew  what  you  were  doing;  I 
was  the  only  one  that  realized " 

"That's  true,"  said  Raymond. 

"Yes — yes,"  exclaimed  Cowper. 

"I  know,"  protested  Tooker,  "but  it  seems  a 
horrible  thing  to  do — deliberately  to — to  accuse  you 

— our  own  business  associate " 

312 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  can't  do  it,  and  I  won't  do  it,"  declared  Mr. 
Emerson,  decisively. 

"Nor  I,"  exclaimed  Tooker,  firmly. 

Wilbur  stared  at  them  all  in  amazement. 

"Good  God!"  he  cried.  "What's  the  matter  with 
you  all?  You  agreed  last  night — we  played  the 
game  and  I  lost !  Are  you  going  to  rob  me  of  the 
chance  of  paying  my  debts?  I  owe  it  to  you — I 
owe  it  to  myself  to  square  this  account.  You 
know,  my  life  has  been  one  constant  gamble — the 
feverish  excitement  of  winning  has  warped  my  bet- 
ter nature."  He  stopped,  and  then  with  some  show 
of  better  feeling,  went  on:  "My  life  has  been  a 
failure — this  will  make  it  a  success.  I  don't  want 
to  pose  as  a  martyr  or  any  stuff  of  that  sort,  but 
I  led  you  into  this  move  and  it's  up  to  me  to  move 
you  out.  Come,  act  like  men — not  children!" 

Mr.  Emerson,  pale  and  anxious,  rose  and  ap- 
pealed to  the  other  directors.  With  tremulous 
voice,  he  cried: 

"Gentlemen — gentlemen,  I  am  his  father.  I  ap- 
peal to  you — don't — don't  let  him " 

Gently  Wilbur  took  his  father  in  his  arms  and 
embraced  him. 

313 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Don't,  father — please — there's  a  good  old  fel- 
low— don't— don't " 

"It's  my  fault!"  said  Mr.  Emerson,  his  eyes  fill- 
ing with  tears. 

"Now — now!"  protested  his  son.  "You  know 
better  than  that.  Come,  let's  get  down  to  brass 
tacks.  I've  written  a  letter  to  you  all,  defining  my 
position — and  yours.  Darwin  will  probably  apply 
for  bench  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  all  of  us  to- 
day, but  we  must  spike  his  guns  by  anticipating  him ; 
so  the  sooner  you  have  me  arrested,  the  better. 
That  undersized  Russian-American  citizen  is  a 
wise  little  fellow.  Give  me  five  minutes  to  change 
my  clothes  and  jump  into  a  tub — and  then- 
Pointing  to  his  father,  he  added:  "Now  the 
matter's  settled.  Don't  let  him  talk  you  over, 
boys." 

Mr.  Emerson  took  his  son  by  the  arm.  Coax- 
ingly,  he  said: 

"Now,  listen,  Wilbur.  Listen  to  me,  my  boy. 
I'm  the  oldest;  in  the  nature  of  things  I  haven't 
long  to  live,  and — it's  my  duty " 

"Nonsense,  father,"  laughed  Wilbur.  "You're 
taking  this  too  seriously." 

314 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"No,  I'm  not,"  said  the  old  banker,  with  some 
emotion.  "I — you're  my  own  flesh  and  blood,  and 
I  can't — I  can't  see  you  go!  By  God,  you  shan't 
go  to  prison!  You  shan't — you " 

"Now,  please — please — please!"  cried  Wilbur, 
struggling  to  get  free. 

Embracing  his  father,  he  quickly  disentangled 
himself  and  rushed  out  of  the  room.  The  old 
banker  stood  looking  after  him  as  if  stunned.  With 
a  visible  effort,  he  pulled  himself  together  and, 
turning  on  his  heel,  walked  out  of  the  room  with 
bowed  head,  shutting  the  door  quietly  behind  him. 
The  other  directors  had  looked  on  in  silence  and 
there  was  a  general  sigh  of  relief  as  Mr.  Emerson 
disappeared. 

"Oh,  if  only  I  had  Wilbur  Emerson's  nature!" 
exclaimed  Cowper,  admiringly.  "Nothing  seems 
to  phase  him!  It  doesn't  seem  possible  that  one 
man  can  be  so  different  to  another.  He's  a  man 
— a  man — and  I — a — and  you're  not  much  better — 
either  of  you." 

"What's  the  matter,  old  man?"  asked  Tooker, 
looking  at  his  fellow  director  curiously;  "you're 
losing  your  nerve." 

315 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Never  had  any,"  admitted  Cowper,  shamefac- 
edly, "but  I'm  sorry — God,  I'm  sorry! — I'd  give 
my  life  to  get  them  back " 

"Get  them  back?  Get  what  back?"  demanded 
Tooker. 

"Our  notes,"  said  Cowper;  "that  damned  affida- 
vit  " 

"You're  maudlin,"  exclaimed  Raymond,  con- 
temptuously. 

Cowper  hung  his  head,  dejectedly. 

"Yes,  maudlin,"  he  muttered,  "that's  it — maud- 
lin. The  hell  I've  lived  in  all  this  past  week  is 
enough  to  make  any  one  maudlin." 

Tooker  looked  significantly  at  Raymond  and  was 
about  to  say  something,  when  suddenly  the  door 
opened  and  Isabel  Emerson  appeared.  Her  man- 
ner was  flurried  and  she  looked  hastily  round,  as  if 
seeking  some  one. 

"Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  she  said,  with  an 
amiable  smile.  "Is  my  brother  here?" 

Cowper  rose  and  shook  hands. 

"No,  Miss  Emerson.  Wilbur  just  left  us." 
Pointing  to  the  room  on  the  right,  he  added:  "I 
think  he's  in  his  room,  attending  to  his  toilet" 

316 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Quickly  Isabel  went  to  the  door  of  her  brother's 
room  and  knocked. 

"Who's  there?"  called  Wilbur's  voice. 

"It's  I,  Wilbur,"  she  said.  "There's  some  one 
downstairs  to  see  you.  Open  the  door." 

"I'll  be  out  in  five  minutes,"  replied  the  voice. 

"Five  minutes!"  exclaimed  Isabel  in  dismay. 

At  that  moment  the  butler  entered  the  room: 

"Breakfast  is  served  for  Mr.  Wilbur,  Miss " 

"Very  well,   Thomas." 

The  man  servant  left  the  room  and  Isabel  turned 
to  the  directors.  With  a  smile,  she  said: 

"Father  told  me  we  are  to  have  the  pleasure  of 

your   company   at   luncheon — so — we   expect   you 
.»_____" 

"Thanks,"  chuckled  Tooker.  "I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  join  you." 

"I  just  want  a  little  coffee,"  growled  Raymond. 
"I've  had  no  breakfast." 

Anxious  to  get  rid  of  them,  in  order  that  she 
could  speak  to  Wilbur  without  restraint.  Isabel 
pointed  to  the  door  leading  to  the  stairs : 

"If  you'll  go  down,  gentlemen,  I'll  join  you  in 
the  dining-room  in  a  minute." 

317 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Tooker  and   Raymond  rose. 

"Come  along,  Cowper,"  said  the  former,  leading 
the  way. 

But  Cowper  did  not  rise. 

"Won't  you — join  the  others — Mr.  Cowper?" 
said  Isabel,  timidly. 

"No,  thanks,"  replied  Cowper,  gloomily,  and  ap- 
parently quite  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  his  pres- 
ence was  undesirable. 

Tooker  and  Raymond  disappeared  and  Isabel, 
growing  more  and  more  impatient,  again  ap- 
proached Wilbur's  door. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  Kathryn  was 
downstairs  and  had  asked  to  see  her  brother.  Her 
manner  was  agitated  and  strange.  She  seemed  all 
upset.  It  must  be  something  very  grave  to  bring  her 
here  so  early  in  the  morning.  Quietly  she  knocked. 

"Wilbur!    Wilbur!" 

No  answer. 

She  knocked  louder. 

Still  no  answer.    Finally  she  called  out. 

"Wilbur,  open  the  door.  Kathryn  is  down- 
stairs. She  wants  to  see  you  at  once  on  a  most 
important  matter." 


THH    GAMBLERS 


Cowper,  who  was  listening,  started  hurriedly  to 
his  feet 

"Mrs.  Darwin  downstairs!"  he  exclaimed.  "I'll 
tell  Wilbur." 

Going  quickly  to  the  door,  he  shook  the  handle 
violently.  Finally  it  was  opened  on  the  crack,  and 
Wilbur's  voice  was  heard  exclaiming  impatiently. 

"Whatever  is  the  matter?  Can't  you  let  a  fel- 
low dress?" 

Cowper  pushed  the  door  open  and  entered,  clos- 
ing it  behind  him. 


319 


CHAPTER  XX 

LEFT  alone,  Isabel  waited  impatiently  for  her 
brother  to  appear.  Not  only  was  she  anx- 
ious to  learn  the  reason  of  his  strange  ab- 
sence from  home  overnight,  but  there  was  this 
urgent  message  to  give  him  from  Kathr/n,  who 
was  waiting  downstairs. 

The  events  of  the  last  few  days  had  made  the 
banker's  daughter  terribly  nervous,  and  her  anxi- 
ety was  all  the  worse  because  she  had  been  kept 
entirely  in  the  dark  as  to  what  was  going  on.  Some 
peril  threatened — that  was  evident.  The  frequent 
going  and  coming  of  the  bank  directors,  the  mys- 
terious midnight  conferences,  her  father's  evident 
worry,  Wilbur's  unaccountable  actions — all  these 
happenings  told  her  that  something  was  wrong. 

That  the  Darwins  were  in  some  way  closely  con- 
nected with  the  matter,  whatever  it  was,  she  well 
knew.  Wilbur  had  told  her  enough  for  her  to  un- 
derstand that  something  w&s  amiss  at  the  bank. 

320 


THB    GAMBLERS 


That  her  brother  had  intentionally  done  anything 
wrong  she  did  not  for  a  moment  believe.  Possibly 
he  had  unwittingly  committed  some  technical  vio- 
lation of  the  banking  laws,  but  she  knew  that  Wil- 
bur had  too  high  a  sense  of  honor  to  be  deliber- 
ately dishonest.  All  her  life  she  had  been  Wilbur's 
staunch  champion  and  now,  when  things  looked 
darkest,  her  loyalty  was  still  unshaken. 

Of  course,  she  could  not  properly  blame  Mr. 
Darwin  for  pressing  the  investigation.  It  was  true 
that  he  had  known  the  family  for  years  and  that 
his  wife  was  her  best  friend,  but  after  all,  he  must 
live  up  to  his  oath  of  office.  If  anything  was 
wrong,  if  a  crime  had  been  committed,  it  was  his 
duty  to  present  the  matter  to  the  Grand  Jury,  and 
if  indictments  followed,  to  press  the  case  to  the 
limit,  regardless  of  friendships.  At  the  same  time, 
she  was  well  aware  of  the  unfriendly  feelings  which 
the  district  attorney  entertained  towards  her 
brother,  and  it  rather  looked  in  the  actual  proceed- 
ings as  if  he  were  actuated  by  personal  prejudice 
alone. 

How  Kathryn  should  happen  to  be  mixed  up  in 
the  affair  she  was  quite  at  a  loss  to  understand,  nor 

321 


THE    GAMBLERS 


could  she  guess  why  at  this  early  hour  of  the  morn- 
ing the  wjfe  of  the  district  attorney  should  be 
downstairs  asking  for  an  immediate  interview  with 
her  brother.  She  wondered  what  it  all  meant. 

Often  she  had  felt  very  sorry  both  for  Kathryn 
and  her  brother.  She  knew  that  they  cared  for 
each  other,  yet  fate  had  not  willed  that  their  lives 
should  be  spent  in  each  other's  company.  Perhaps 
if  Wilbur  had  married  her,  things  would  have  been 
different.  He  might  have  been  dissuaded  from  tak- 
ing such  dangerous  financial  risks;  engrossed  in 
the  woman  he  loved,  he  would  have  been  a  happier, 
more  contented  man.  Kathryn  assuredly  would 
have  been  a  happier  woman.  It  was  impossible 
to  conceive  how  any  woman  could  be  contented  or 
happy  with  a  man  of  James  Darwin's  cold,  un- 
sympathetic temperament.  He  might  be  very  bril- 
liant, very  intellectual,  but  as  a  cheerful,  amiable 
companion  he  sadly  missed  his  vocation. 

The  tall  clock  in  the  corner  ticked  the  minutes 
away  and  still  Wilbur  did  not  come.  She  could 
hear  Cowper  conversing  with  him  in  the  other 
room  and  it  seemed  to  her  that  her  brother  was 
responding  in  angry  tones.  Suddenly  there  \vaj 

322 


THE    GAMBLERS 


an  exclamation  on  the  landing  outside.  Isabel 
turned  and  saw  Kathryn. 

The  attorney's  wife,  becomingly  dressed  in  a 
clinging  Paris  green  velvet  gown,  with  black  picture 
hat,  advanced  hastily  into  the  room,  closing  the 
door  carefully  behind  her.  Nervously  she  said: 

"I  couldn't  wait  downstairs  any  longer.  My 
husband  has  followed  me.  I  hear  his  voice  in  the 
hallway  asking  for  me — I  don't  want  him  to  see  me, 
and  I  scarcely  need  to  tell  you — I  have  no  desire  to 
see  him — I  never  want  to  see  him  again.  He's  go- 
ing to  bring  a  divorce  suit!" 

Isabel  started  with  surprise.  She  had  no  idea 
things  had  gone  so  far.  Shaking  her  head  dubi- 
ously, she  exclaimed: 

"Divorce? — is  it  as  bad  as  that?" 

Kathryn  nodded.     Decisively,  she  said: 

"Yes,  as  bad  as  all  that.  It  couldn't  be  helped. 
I  am  very  glad.  I  couldn't  stand  it  any  longer. 
If  he  only  keeps  his  word — but  I'm  afraid  he 
won't!  Where's  your  brother?" 

Isabel  looked  at  her  friend  in  silence.  Then  after 
a  pause,  she  said  quietly : 

"Is— is  Wilbur— the  cause?" 

323 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"The  excuse — not  the  cause.  It's  most  impor- 
tant that  I  should  see  him  alone.  Where  is  he?" 

"He'll  be  here  in  a  moment,"  replied  Isabel. 
"Mr.  Cowper  has  gone  for  him." 

Kathryn  looked  up  quickly,  a  puzzled  expression 
on  her  face.  Drawing  from  her  muff  the  letter  con- 
taining the  notes,  she  said: 

"Mr.  Cowper!"  she  exclaimed.  "Oh,  yes — so  it 
was  Mr.  Cowper  who  left  this  communication  for 
Mr.  Darwin." 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Isabel. 

"Yes,"  went  on  Kathryn,  carelessly,  "I  remem- 
ber, it  was  Mr.  Cowper.  I  heard  Jim  ask  the  girl 
if  Mr.  Cowper  had  left  a  package  for  him.  Oh, 
Isabel!  I'm  distracted — distracted — I  don't  know 
what  to  do — I  don't  know  what  I  ought  to  do. 
This  is  for  Mr.  Darwin.  I  ought  to  give  it  to  Mr. 
Darwin,  but  I— I " 

"Is  it  his?"  asked  Isabel,  quickly. 

"It  is  addressed  to  him.  It  will  enable  him  to 
send  a  number  of  men  to  prison.  I  don't  want  him 
to  have  it — I  want  to  give  it  to — to  some  one  else." 

"But  if  it  is  addressed  to  Mr.  Darwin,  how  can 
you,  Kate,  how  can  you?" 

324 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  don't  know.  But  that's  what  I'm  going  to  do. 
It's  the  first  wrong  I've  ever  done  my  husband— 
the  first — the  very  first." 

"You  will  justify  his  conduct  to  you,  Kate.  Ah, 
don't  do  that." 

"I  think  if  you  knew,  you  wouldn't  be  quite  so 
anxious.  Has  your  brother  told  you  nothing?" 

"No,"  she  exclaimed,  anxiously.  "Why,  is  it 
connected  with  Wilbur  ?  Friends  of  his,  perhaps  ?" 

"Yes,  friends  of  his." 

"Still,  right  is  right;  no  argument  can  alter  that." 

"You  can  argue  against  truth  itself  if  it  strikes 
at  your  own  door.  Supposing  it  were  your  brother 
and  your  father  that  Mr.  Darwin  was  so  anxious 
to  send  to  prison.  Would  you  give  it  to  him  then  ?" 

"It  wouldn't  alter  the  fact  that  it  was  right  to 
do  so." 

"Then  you  would  deliberately  send  them  to 
prison  without  making  an  effort  to  save  them? 
Would  you  send  them  to  prison?  Answer  me 
that!" 

"Right  is  right!" 

"Yes,  when  you're  deciding  for  others,  but  when 
you  decide  for  yourself — for  your  father  —  your 

325 


THE    GAMBLERS 


brother — it's  different.  Your  father's  an  old  man, 
Isabel.  All  his  life  has  been  devoted  to  the  good 
of  others." 

"My  father!"  cried  Isabel,  anxiously. 

Kathryn  looked  around  cautiously. 

"Your  brother  has  led  him  into  some  big-  specu- 
lation that  ended  disastrously.  Shall  we  send  them 
to  prison?  Shall  we?" 

"My  brother — my  father — you  don't  really  mean 
that?  Oh,  Kate— Kate!" 

"Yes." 

"Kate!" 

"It's  true,"  went  on  Kathryn.  "Wilbur  came  to 
my  house  last  night  to — get  this — and  my  husband 
found  him  there — and  accused  me.  It  will  save 
his  father  from  prison,  he  says,  so  I  kept  it  from 
Mr.  Darwin — and  now — right  or  wrong — I  intend 
to  keep  it  from  him." 

Isabel  threw  her  arms  around  her  friend's  neck 
and,  with  emotion,  cried: 

"God  bless  you,  Kate.  You're  very  good  to  us — 
very — good — to  us." 

As  she  spoke,  the  door  opened  and  James  Dar- 
win appeared. 

326 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  district  attorney  advanced  boldly  into 
the  room.  His  manner  was  stern  and  de- 
fiant. Addressing  Isabel,  he  said  politely : 

"I  ask  your  pardon,  Miss  Emerson,  for  inter- 
rupting what  seems  to  be  a  very  interesting  con- 
versation, but  I  wish  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Darwin — 
alone." 

Kathryn  held  up  a  hand  in  protest. 

"Please  don't  go,  Isabel,"  she  exclaimed. 

Darwin  looked  gravely  at  his  wife.  Coldly,  he 
said: 

"I  wish  to  see  you  alone." 

"Is  it  absolutely  necessary?"  she  demanded, 
haughtily. 

"Absolutely,"  he  replied. 

Isabel  withdrew  quietly,  without  waiting  for  fur- 
ther argument,  and  husband  and  wife,  left  alone, 
faced  each  other  in  silence.  The  attorney  was  the 
first  to  break  the  ice.  With  a  forced,  unnatural 

327 


THE    GAMBLERS 


calm  that  was  even  more  irritating  than  a  paroxysm 
of  rage,  he  said: 

"You  left  my  house  early  this  morning.  You've 
been  here  ever  since.  I've  come  for  the  letter  Mr. 
Cowper  brought  to  my  house  last  night.  As  for 
the  rest — you  can  finish  the  remainder  of  your  life 
here."  More  roughly,  and  raising  his  voice,  he 
added:  "Come,  where  is  it?" 

She  drew  herself  up. 

"I  decline  to  discuss  that  matter  any  further," 
she  said,  coldly. 

"That's  an  evasion,"  he  cried.  "Where  is  it? 
Have  you  given  it  to  Wilbur  Emerson?" 

"No." 

"Positively?" 

"Positively — no." 

"Where  is  it,  then?" 

She  made  no  answer,  and  he  went  on,  his  face 
white  with  anger: 

"You  refuse  to  tell  me?  Now,  Kathryn,  I'll 
give  you  one  last  chance.  If  you  will  place  that 
letter  in  my  hands,  I  will  drop  the  divorce  proceed- 
ings. I'll  believe  just  what  you  want  me  to  believe 
in  regard  to  Wilbur  Emerson.  In  fact,  I  will  ac- 

328 


THE    GAMBLERS 


cept  it  as  proof  positive  of  your  innocence.  I  will 
merely  regard  your  conduct  as  the  action  of  a  fool- 
ish woman  whose  sympathies  have  been  played 
upon  by  an  emotional  scoundrel — but  who  has  not 
sinned " 

"How  do  you  know  I  have  not  sinned?"  she  de- 
manded, defiantly. 

"I  don't  know,  nor  do  I  say  you  haven't.  I  said 
I  will  accept  the  situation  as  it  stands  without  in- 
quiring too  deeply  into  it.  At  least,  your  willing- 
ness to  help  me  punish  these  criminals  will  be  evi- 
dence of  your  desire  to — to  break  with  them." 

"Ah,  I  see!"  she  cried,  scornfully,  "you've 
thought  it  over.  The  disgrace — the  publicity  of  di- 
vorce may  hurt  you  politically,  it  may  impede  your 
advancement ' ' 

Darwin  winced  under  her  sarcastic  thrusts.  Un-. 
easily,  he  said: 

"I  don't  deny  that  that  aspect  of  the  matter  is 
to  be  considered.  Divorce  is  a  nasty  business  at 
best,  but  I  will  spare  you  if  you  do  as  I  ask." 

"You  don't  believe  in  my  innocence,  but  you  are 
willing  to  forgive  me — not  because  you — care  for 
me,  or  wish  to  spare  me,  but  because  the  candidate 

329 


THE    GAMBLERS 


for  attorney  general  must  not  have  the  blot  of  di- 
vorce on  his  escutcheon." 

"Something  of  the  sort " 

"Well — I  refuse — absolutely." 

"Then  I  shall  commence  divorce  proceedings  at 
once  and,  believe  me — you  will  not  be  spared.  You 
can  defend  yourself  in  the  civil  courts  about  the 
same  time  your  paramour  is  being  sentenced  to  a 
long  term  of  imprisonment  in  the  criminal  courts." 

With  a  gesture  of  impatience,  she  replied: 

"There  will  be  no  defence.    I  shall  plead  guilty." 

"Then  you  confess?"  cried  Darwin. 

Slowly,  and  looking  him  straight  in  the  face,  she 
answered : 

"James,  I  want  my  freedom  and  I'm  willing  to 
pay  any  price  for  it." 

The  attorney  was  about  to  reply  when  the  door 
of  Wilbur's  room  opened  and  Cowper  appeared. 
Seeing  Darwin  there,  the  director  drew  back. 

"Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  stammered. 

He  was  about  to  retire  when  Darwin  called  him. 

"Just  a  moment,  Mr.  Cowper.    Don't  run  away." 

"I — "  stammered  Cowper,  nervously. 

"Don't  be  afraid,"  said  Darwin,  reassuringly. 
330 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I — please  remain  here,  Mrs.  Darwin.  This  is  the 
gentleman  who  left  the  communication  at  my  house 
yesterday,  addressed  to  me,  I  believe?" 

Cowper  glanced  at  Kathryn,  who  shook  her  head 
significantly.  He  was  quick  to  understand  the  sit- 
uation. 

"That  letter,"  went  on  Darwin,  "contained  the 
original  notes  of  the  bank  directors  and  Mr.  Cow- 
per's  own  personal  admission  of  the  guilt  of  himself 
and  his  associates.  Am  I  right?" 

Cowper  looked  at  the  attorney  in  surprise. 

"Why — why,  haven't  you — received  it?"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

Again  Kathryn  shook  her  head. 

"Not  yet,"  said  the  attorney,  determinedly,  "but 
I'm  going  to.  I'm  going  to  get  it  before  I  leave 
this  house,  Mr.  Cowper — for  I'm  convinced  that 
it  is  here." 

"I  wish  to  God  it  had  never  been  written !"  cried 
Cowper.  Facing  the  attorney,  angrily  he  went  on : 
"You  wormed  it  out  of  me ;  it  wasn't  right.  No,  sir, 
those  gentlemen  never  intended  to  wrong  any  one, 
Mr.  Darwin.  You  worked  on  me  until  I  consented 
to  do  as  you  asked.  You  made  me  betray  them — 

331 


THB    GAMBLERS 


betray  them  just  to  save  my  own  cowardly  skin.  I 
haven't  had  a  moment's  peace  nor  a  wink  of  sleep 
since  I  did  it,  and  I  never  shall.  The  hand  that 
wrote  it  deserves  to  be  cut  off.  I'll  never  forgive 
myself — never — never !" 

"Oh,  yes,  you  will,"  smiled  Darwin,  grimly. 
"The  moment  the  Grand  Jury  verdict  comes  out 
and  your  name  is  not  included  in  the  list  of 
indicted  men,  you'll  forget  the  means  that  freed 
you.  You'll  only  know  that  you  are  free,  and  you'll 
shout  for  very  joy!  Liberty  is  sweet — very  sweet 
— Mr.  Cowper!" 

"Not  when  a  rotten  conscience  goes  with  it,"  re- 
torted Cowper.  "It's  blood  money." 

"Liberty  is  life,  Mr.  Cowper,"  interrupted 
Kathryn. 

"Then  you — you  think  I  was  right,  Mrs.  Dar- 
win?" said  Cowper,  eagerly. 

"It's  not  for  me  to  judge,"  she  replied.  "I  ex- 
pect to  pay  quite  a  price  for  my  own  liberty,  Mr. 
Cowper,  but  I'm  going  to  pay  for  it." 

"The  price  will  be  exacted  to  the  uttermost  far- 
thing," said  Darwin,  savagely,  "you  can  depend  on 
that.  Am  I  to  understand,  Mr.  Cowper,  that 

332 


THE    GAMBLERS 


you  withdraw  the  confession  you  left  at  my 
house?" 

"Yes — yes!''  exclaimed  Cowper.  "But  I  with- 
draw it — that  confession  is  a  lie.  Where  is  it?" 

"That  is  precisely  what  I  intend  to  find  out," 
said  Darwin.  "You  haven't  it,  neither  has  the  ser- 
vant to  whom  you  delivered  it.  I  haven't  it,  there- 
fore," turning  to  his  wife,  "I'm  very  much  afraid, 
dear,  that  it  looks  like  you."  Turning  to  Cowper, 
he  said:  "Do  you  mind  telling  the  man  who  is 
waiting  outside  for  me  that  I  wish  to  see  him  ?  His 
name  is  Hicks.  He's  a  secret  service  officer.  You 
remember  him — he  was  at  my  office  when  you  made 
your  affidavit." 

"Yes — I — I  remember,"  nodded  Cowper. 

He  left  the  room  and  Darwin  crossed  quickly 
over  to  where  his  wife  stood.  Angrily,  he 
shouted : 

"You  have  it.  You're  waiting  here  to  see  Mr. 
Wilbur  Emerson.  He's  in  that  room.  I  saw  him 
when  Cowper  came  in.  By  God,  you'd  rather  be- 
tray your  husband — risk  your  honor — good  name — 
every  stitch  on  your  back  for  the  sake  of  this 
damned  scoundrel  who  will  be  in  State's  prison  in- 

333 


THE    GAMBLERS 


side  of  twenty- four  hours!     Answer  me,  isn't  it 
true?" 

"If  it  were,"  she  retorted,  defiantly,  "do  you 
suppose  I'd  tell  you?" 

Darwin  looked  fixedly  at  her,  trying  to  hypnotize 
her,  to  break  her  will,  as  he  had  done  so  many 
times  before.  That  she  had  the  package  he  felt 
sure.  Equally  positive  was  he  that  she  had  come 
to  the  Emerson  house  with  the  intention  of  sur- 
rendering the  notes  to  Wilbur.  Had  she  already 
done  so,  or  was  she  watching  her  opportunity? 
That  was  for  him  to  find  out. 

Carelessly,  as  if  desirous  of  putting  an  end  to 
an  interview  which  had  grown  distasteful,  Kathryn 
moved  away  and,  going  over  to  the  window,  stood 
looking  out  upon  the  street.  While  the  attorney, 
undecided  as  to  what  action  to  take,  stood  medi- 
tating, the  door  from  the  landing  opened  and  Ser- 
geant Hicks  of  the  Central  Office  entered.  Quietly, 
he  approached  his  employer. 

"You  wish  to  speak  to  me,  sir  ?" 

Darwin  pointed  to  the  balcony  which  was  out- 
side the  window  near  where  his  wife  was  stand- 
ing. 

334 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Yes,  sir.  Watch  this  room.  I'm  almost  posi- 
tive that  Mrs.  Darwin  has  Cowper's  confession. 
If  she  attempts  to  give  it  to  Emerson — make  it  your 
business  to  get  it — understand?  Don't  give  him 
time  to  destroy  it!" 

"I  understand,  sir." 

The  detective  retired  and  Darwin  resumed  his 
attitude  of  silent  meditation,  his  eyes  meantime 
closely  watching  his  wife,  who  still  stood  where 
she  was  looking  out  of  the  window.  What  was 
she  waiting  there  for?  he  wondered.  No  doubt  for 
Wilbur.  She  had  not  seen  him  yet,  and  was  await- 
ing her  opportunity  when  he  left  his  room — to  give 
him  the  package  containing  the  notes.  Well,  he  was 
as  clever  as  she  was.  He  would  let  them  fall  into 
the  trap.  He  would  leave  the  room,  but  Hicks, 
stationed  on  the  balcony,  would  be  watching.  Then, 
at  the  first  sign  of  an  attempt  to  transfer  the  pack- 
age, the  detective  would  make  a  signal  and  he  would 
rush  in  and  catch  them  in  the  act.  While  he  was 
thinking  out  this  plan  the  bedroom  door  opened 
and  Wilbur  appeared. 

On  seeing  who  was  there  the  young  man  fell 
back  in  astonishment.  He  had  expected  to  find 

335 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Mrs.  Darwin,  because  his  sister  said  she  was  there 
waiting  to  see  him,  but  it  had  never  occurred  to 
him  that  Mr.  Darwin  was  also  of  the  party.  Unable 
to  grasp  the  situation,  he  looked  from  one  to  the 
other.  Finally  he  addressed  the  attorney. 

"Do  you  wish  to  see  me  ?" 

"No,"  replied  Darwin.  "My  wife,  I  think,  has 
something  to  say  to  you." 

Wilbur  bowed  and  the  attorney  went  on : 

"I'm  rather  afraid  your  little  tete-a-tete  was 
somewhat  rudely  interrupted  last  night." 

"Won't  you  sit  down,  Mr.  Darwin?"  said  Wil- 
bur, pointing  to  a  chair. 

"No,  thank  you,  I  prefer  to  stand,"  said  the  at- 
torney curtly. 

Wilbur  turned  to  Kathryn. 

"Do  you  wish  to  see  me,  Mrs.  Darwin?" 

Leaving  her  place  at  the  window  and  ignoring 
her  husband  completely,  Kathryn  came  forward, 
her  face  smiling,  hands  outstretched.  Impulsively, 
she  exclaimed : 

"Yes,  Wilbur,  I  wish  to  discuss  our  plans  for 
the  future.  Mr.  Darwin  is  going  to  bring  an  action 

for  divorce,  and " 

336 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  banker  changed  color.  Starting  forward,  he 
exclaimed : 

"Good  God!  No — no — Darwin,  you  don't  mean 
that?" 

"Horrible,  isn't  it?"  retorted  the  attorney,  with  a 
cynical  smile. 

"Yes — by  God,  it  is!"  cried  Wilbur  indignantly. 
"Horrible,  because  it's  undeserved — vilely — wick- 
edly— unjust!" 

The  attorney  shrugged  his  shoulders.  With  a 
bitter  laugh  he  said : 

"Let's  drop  this  shallow  pretence,  Emerson.  I 
know  your  sense  of  propriety  is  outraged,  but  don't 
overdo  it.  It  occurs  to  me  that  I'm  rather  in  the 
way.  You  may  want  to  discuss  your  plans  for  the 
future — I'll  leave  you  alone  together.  You'll  par- 
don my  absence,  I'm  sure." 


337 


CHAPTER  XXII 

KATHRYN  and  Wilbur  faced  each  other  in 
silence.      At    last    all    misunderstandings 
were  cleared  up,  but  was  it  not  too  late? 
What  tragedies  they  had  made  of  their  lives!    She 
was  about  to  be  subjected  to  the  indignity  of  a 
divorce ;  he  was  to  undergo  trial  as  a  common  male- 
factor. 

Yet,  in  spite  of  everything,  their  love  had  sur- 
vived the  wreck.  The  world  might  blame  them,  but 
strong  in  the  knowledge  in  their  own  hearts  that 
they  were  innocent  of  wrongdoing,  they  looked  for- 
ward serenely  to  the  future.  Why  care  for  the 
verdict  of  others  when  they  were  secure  in  each 
other's  love  ?  Now,  perhaps  for  the  first  time,  Kath- 
ryn  realized  the  worth  of  this  man  from  whom  she 
had  turned  to  marry  James  Darwin.  Threatened 
with  disgrace,  imprisonment,  a  fate  from  which 
most  men  would  have  recoiled  with  terror,  he  was 
willing  to  go,  head  erect,  to  take  his  punishment. 

338 


WHEN   YOU   ARE    FREE    I   SHALL  BE   THERE. 


Page  351. 


THE    GAMBLERS 


He  was  not  willing  to  let  others,  especially  his  old 
father,  suffer  when  he  was  principally  to  blame. 
This,  she  murmured  softly  to  herself,  was  a  true 
hero,  a  man  worthy  of  any  woman's  love. 

Neither  spoke.  Their  hearts  were  too  full  for 
utterance.  He  could  hardly  believe  the  words  that 
had  escaped  her  lips.  It  seemed  too  good  to  be 
true.  Kate  divorced!  Then,  if  she  was  free,  it 
was  possible  that  one  day  he  might  call  her  wife. 
With  a  smothered  cry  of  exultation  he  sprang  for- 
ward, as  if  to  take  her  in  his  arms,  but  before  he 
reached  her,  he  stopped  short.  Much  had  to  be  done 
before  he  could  think  of  his  own  happiness.  His 
face  flushed  as  he  thought  of  the  reckless  manner 
in  which  he  had  compromised  her  the  previous 
evening.  No  doubt  he  alone  was  responsible  for 
her  husband's  anger  and  the  threatened  divorce 
suit.  With  outstretched  hand,  he  exclaimed  con- 
tritely : 

"What  can  I  say,  Mrs.  Darwin?  I'm — I've 
brought  this  on  you!  I've  brought  disgrace  and 
ruin  on  my  father!  The  worst  that  could  happen 
has  happened — Mr.  Darwin  won't  believe  us!  He 
won't  believe  us!" 

339 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  don't  wish  him  to  believe  us !"  she  said,  laying 
her  hand  gently  on  his  arm. 

"You  don't  wish ?"  exclaimed  Wilbur,  as- 
tounded. 

"No!"  she  said  quietly.  "I've  left  him  forever. 
I'm  only  too  glad  that  he  has  some  tangible  reason 
for  taking  the  initiative  against  me.  Listen,  I 
have  Mr.  Cowper's  confession  and  the  notes  with 
me." 

Wilbur  clasped  her  two  hands  in  his. 

"Kate!    Kate!"  he  cried. 

"I  want  to  save  your  father — you — from  prison." 

"You  can  save  him,  Kathryn,  but  you  can't  save 
me.  We've  done  wrong — one  of  us  must  pay  the 
penalty.  I've  been  the  leading  spirit  among  them — 
I  must  be  the  one  to  pay  the  price.  Oh,  that  point 
is  already  settled — there's  no  chance  for  me  to 
escape;  but  father — you've  saved  him.  All  I  want 
is  Cowper's  confession.  How  selfish  I  am — I  can 
think  only  of  my  own  happiness — I  forget  the  sac- 
rifice you  have  made." 

"What  sacrifice?"  she  demanded. 

"Your  husband  would  have  believed  you  last 
night  if  you  had  given  him  Cowper's  letter." 

340 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  don't  know,"  she  replied;  "perhaps — I  only 
know  that  I  shall  thank  God  every  moment  of  my 
life  that  I  didn't.  The  joy  of  freedom  from  that 
man  is  worth  the  petty  pi  ice  of  forfeiting  the 
world's  good  opinion." 

Wilbur  looked  at  her  tenderly. 

"How  am  I  going  to  pay  the  debt  I  owe  you?" 
he  asked. 

"I'm  in  your  debt,  Wilbur.  You  owe  me  noth- 
ing; besides,  it's  your  father " 

"Only  my  father?"  he  asked  significantly. 

She  looked  away.    Gently  she  answered : 

"I  don't  know,  I  haven't  asked  myself.  I  won't 
let  even  the  shadow  of  another  man  come  into  my 
mind  until  I  cease  to  bear  his  name." 

Wilbur  approached  her.    Tenderly  he  said: 

"Until— and  then ?" 

Wilbur  approached  her,  and  impulsively  he  took 
her  hand  and  carried  it  to  his  lips.  Gently  he  mur- 
mured : 

"Until— and  then?" 

Tenderly  he  drew  her  to  him,  and  for  one  bliss- 
ful moment  her  head  rested  on  his  shoulder  and 
he  could  feel  her  warm,  fragrant  breath  on  his 

34i 


THE    GAMBLERS 


cheek.  Then,  firmly,  decisively,  she  drew  away, 
but  in  her  eyes  was  a  light  he  had  never  seen.  At 
last  the  ice  of  years  was  broken.  He  felt  that  this 
woman  loved  him  and  was  ready  to  share  his  life 
with  him. 

A  hoarse  cry  of  exultation  sprang  to  his  lips. 
Had  he  dared  he  would  again  have  clasped  her  in 
his  arms,  but  prudence  counseled  caution.  Darwin 
was  not  far  away;  probably  he  was  eavesdropping 
outside.  His  spies  were  everywhere.  They  must 
give  him  no  excuse  to  prejudice  her  case.  It  was 
enough  for  the  present  that  they  understood  each 
other,  that  at  last  he  was  free  to  look  in  her  eyes 
and  tell  her  silently  that  he  loved  her.  Now  he  did 
not  care  what  happened.  He  was  ready  to  undergo 
any  ordeal,  prison,  death  itself — now  that  he  knew 
that  she  loved  him. 

For  a  moment  he  was  assailed  by  a  great  tempta- 
tion. Why  should  he  be  robbed  of  this  happiness, 
now  it  was  within  his  grasp?  Why  should  he  stay 
in  New  York  to  undergo  the  disgrace,  the  humilia- 
tion of  court  proceedings  and  imprisonment,  when 
they  could  both  go  away,  flee  to  some  other  coun- 
try, and  be  happy  under  an  assumed  name? 

342 


THB    GAMBLERS 


"Kate,"  he  said  hurriedly,  "what  sacrifice  would 
you  be  willing  to  make  for  the  man  you  loved?" 

She  looked  at  him,  as  if  trying  to  divine  his 
meaning. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  she  demanded. 

Quickly  he  put  it  before  her. 

"Why  should  I  go  through  the  ignominy  of  this 
trial — incur  the  risk  of  a  prison  term?  I  have  tried 
to  appear  brave,  to  make  light  of  it,  but  the  thought 
of  what  it  all  means  appalls  me.  Why  couldn't  I 
escape  it  all  by  slipping  away?  They'd  talk  about 
it  for  a  week,  then  they'd  forget.  We  could  go 
abroad  and " 

Kathryn  put  up  her  little  gloved  hand  to  stop 
him.  Shaking  her  head,  she  said : 

"Don't,  Wilbur;  it  is  not  like  you  to  talk  like 
that.  Even  if  I  consented  to  it,  you  yourself  would 
not  go." 

"Why  not?"  he  demanded. 

Laying  her  hand  gently  on  his,  she  went  on : 

"Because  no  happiness  can  come  of  wrong-doing. 
It  would  be  wrong  to  leave  your  father  and  sister 
to  face  the  storm  alone." 

He  hung  his  head  shamefacedly. 

343 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"Forgive  me,"  he  murmured.  "You  are  nobler 
than  I."  Slowly  he  went  on:  "Yes,  I  must  go 
through  with  this  thing,  even  if  it  is  only  to  shield 
my  father  and  the  good  name  of  the  Emerson 
Bank.  No  one  shall  say  I  shirked  my  duty  or 
refused  to  take  my  punishment.  I  alone  will  suf- 
fer. If  I  can  destroy  the  notes  and  Cowper's  con- 
fession the  others  will  go  free.  Did  you  bring  the 
package?" 

With  a  cautious  glance  at  the  closed  door,  she 
replied  hurriedly: 

"Yes,  the  envelope  is  in  my  muff.  I've  been 
waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  give  it  to  you.  My 
husband  suspects  I  have  it,  and  he  followed  me 
here.  He  is  watching  my  every  move." 

"Give  it  to  me  quick!"  he  said. 

Kathryn's  hand  went  to  her  muff,  when  suddenly 
he  stopped  her  with  a  whisper. 

"Hush !  There's  some  one  on  the  balcony.  I  saw 
a  shadow  there —  Careful — careful — don't  look." 

"Yes,"  she  said  in  the  same  tone.  "He  knew  I 
had  that  confession — he  knew  I  was  waiting  to  give 
it  to  you — and  he  left  us  alone  on  purpose — to  catch 
us.  What  am  I  to  do?" 

344 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Wilbur  turned  and  carelessly  lighted  a  cigar. 
Without  looking  round,  he  whispered : 

"Wait  a  moment — don't  touch  the  paper.  Go  to 
the  mantel  and  rest  your  hand  with  your  muff  on 
it  for  a  moment.  While  you  are  doing  this,  drop 
the  package  on  the  mantel  shelf.  Turn  away  from 
the  window,  so  that  you  can't  be  seen.  Tell  me 
when  it's  done." 

Kathryn  sauntered  towards  the  fireplace,  and  un- 
der the  pretence  of  warming  her  feet,  rested  her 
hand  covered  by  the  muff  on  the  mantel  shelf. 
Then  quickly  she  let  the  envelope  drop  out.  This 
done,  she  walked  carelessly  back. 

"It's  there,"  she  whispered  as  she  passed  him. 

Wilbur  walked  slowly  to  the  mantel.  Quietly 
he  said : 

"Now  go  towards  the  table  and  sit  down.  I  see 
it — there  it  is — God  bless  you,  Kathryn!  You've 
saved  an  old  man  from  degradation — you've  saved 
me  from  purgatory."  Ringing  the  bell,  he  added: 
"I  can  go  to  prison  singing,  now.  You  know, 
Kathryn,  I  feel  that  what  I  am  going  to  do — is  a 
greater  victory  than  gaining  the  control  of  many 
banks." 

345 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"It  is,  Wilbur,"  she  replied  earnestly.  "For  the 
first  time  in  your  life  you'll  be  truly  happy." 

The  butler  answered  the  ring. 

"Thomas,''  said  the  banker,  "ask  Mr.  Darwin  to 
come  here,  and  please  tell  my  father  and  the  other 
gentlemen  in  the  dining  room  that  I'm  waiting  for 
them." 

"There  are  two  men  downstairs,  sir.  Mr.  Dar- 
win said  they  were  waiting  for  you." 

"So  they  are,"  replied  Wilbur  grimly.  "Let  them 
wait." 

"Yes,  sir." 

Wilbur  turned  to  Kathryn.  His  voice  trem- 
bling from  the  emotion  he  was  trying  vainly  to 
conceal,  he  said: 

"Those  two  men  are  Central  Office  detectives. 
They  are  going  to  take  me  away,  Kathryn.  It  may 
be  a  long  time  before  I  see  you  again." 

She  looked  away,  not  willing  to  let  him  see  that 
her  eyes  were  filled  with  scalding  tears,  scarcely 
able  to  bring  herself  to  speak. 

"A  long  time?"  she  stammered  in  broken  tones. 

"A  few  years,  perhaps." 

"We'll  try  to  bear  it,  Wilbur." 
346 


THE    GAMBLERS 


Before  he  could  say  anything  more  the  door  was 
flung  open  and  James  Darwin  entered,  followed  by 
Mr.  Emerson,  Sr.,  and  all  the  directors  of  the 
Emerson  Bank.  The  district  attorney  bowed 
coldly : 

"You  sent  for  me,  Mr.  Emerson?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Darwin.  I  have  something  to  say  to 
you  as  district  attorney  of  this  county,  and  I  wish 
to  say  it  in  presence  of  my  father  and  fellow 
directors.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  you  are  con- 
cerned in  the  Federal  case  against  me,  you  will  be 
interested  to  know  that  I  have  made  a  full  confes- 
sion to  my  business  associates,  and  they  have  de- 
cided to  formulate  charges  against  me — for — for 
misappropriation  of  funds — misusing  notes  en- 
trusted to  me  by  them."  Holding  out  a  paper  he 
added:  "You'll  find  it  all  in  this  statement." 

Going  to  the  mantelpiece,  he  took  the  blue  envel- 
ope and  held  it  out.  Still  addressing  Darwin,  he 
said :  "And  here — here  are  the  notes.  It  is  ad- 
dressed to  you,  Mr.  Darwin — by  Mr.  Cowper — 
Cowper,  will  you — see  if  you  intended  Mr.  Darwin 
to  have — this " 

Before  the  attorney  could  interfere  he  had 
347 


THE    GAMBLERS 


handed  the  envelope  to  Cowper,  who  quickly 
opened  it. 

"Yes."  exclaimed  Cowper,  "this — is " 

"He  won't  need  your  statement."  said  Wilbur 
positively,  "now  he  has  mine." 

"I  need  both — both !"  exclaimed  Darwin 

hotly. 

"You  can  tear  it  up,"  said  Wilbur  quickly  to 
Cowper.  "Tear  it  up!" 

"Yes — yes !"  said  Cowper,  suiting  action  to  word. 

The  next  instant  the  notes,  torn  into  a  thousand 
fragments,  were  scattered  all  over  the  floor.  Dar- 
win and  Sergeant  Hicks  made  a  motion  as  if  about 
to  pick  up  the  pieces,  but,  by  a  quick  movement, 
Wilbur  forestalled  them.  Grasping  them  up  in  one 
handful,  he  threw  the  pieces  of  paper  on  to  the 
fire. 

"Don't  trouble  yourself,  Mr.  Darwin,"  said  Wil- 
bur coolly.  Then,  turning  to  the  butler,  he  added : 
"Thomas,  tell  the  men  I'm  ready." 

Mr.  Emerson  stepped  forward.  He  did  not  un- 
derstand what  his  son's  speech  meant.  He  only 
knew  that  he  had  accused  himself  of  an  act  of 
which  he  was  not  guilty,  with  the  foolish,  quixotic 

348 


THE    GAMBLERS 


idea  of  sparing  his  associates.  He  would  not 
permit  it.  His  voice  shaking  from  emotion,  he 
said: 

"I  desire  to  say  that  I  do  not  concur — my  son  is 
not — is  not  to  blame — Wilbur !" 

"Father!      Father!"  exclaimed  Wilbur. 

Quickly  turning  to  Covvper  he  whispered : 

"Get  him  away  or  he'll  spoil  everything." 

Gently,  persuasively,  Cowper  coaxed  the  old 
banker  into  allowing  himself  to  be  led  into  the 
adjoining  room.  With  a  sigh  of  relief  Wilbur 
turned  to  the  others : 

"That  will  be  all,  gentlemen!"  he  said. 

Raymond  looked  at  Tooker. 

"He's  kept  his  word  d d  handsomely." 

"Yes,"  growled  Tooker,  "he  makes  me  feel  like 
a  welcher!" 

Not  knowing  how  to  express  their  gratitude,  the 
two  cronies  pressed  Wilbur's  hand  in  silence  and 
left  the  room. 

Wilbur  looked  at  the  district  attorney,  who  with  a 
puzzled  expression  on  his  face,  was  busy  examining 
the  paper  which  had  been  handed  to  him.  Coldly 
he  said : 

349 


THE    GAMBLERS 


"I  think  that's  all,  Mr.  Darwin.  I  won't  detain 
you  any  longer." 

The  attorney  glared  at  him.  He  knew  that  in 
some  way  he  had  been  outwitted,  but  at  least  he 
still  had  in  his  power  the  man  he  hated.  Between 
his  teeth  he  muttered : 

"I  don't  quite  know  what  to  make  of  you,  Em- 
erson. This  apparently  puts  all  the  responsibility 
on  you.  You've  anticipated  Federal  action  and  to 
some  extent  weakened  my  hand.  But  you're  not 
looking  for  sympathy,  are  you?  You  don't  expect 
to  get  off  scot  free?" 

"Hardly,"  smiled  Wilbur. 

"I'm  glad  of  that,"  snapped  Darwin,  "because 
you  won't !"  Turning  to  his  detective,  he  added : 
"Hicks,  see  that  your  men  take  him  to  police  head- 
quarters, and  notify  me  when  he's  locked  up." 

He  was  about  to  go,  when  he  noticed  his  wife 
standing  in  the  embrasure  of  the  window,  where 
she  had  -been  a  silent  spectator  of  the  proceedings. 
Coldly  he  addressed  her: 

"Are  you  coming,  Mrs.  Darwin?" 

Kathryn  drew  herself  up  haughtily. 

"No,"  she  replied  curtly. 

350 


THE    GAMBLERS 


The  attorney  bowed  to  them  both  and  left  the 
room.  Wilbur  looked  at  Sergeant  Hicks,  who  stood 
waiting. 

"Just  a  moment,  sergeant,  and  I'll  be  with  - 

"Very  good,  sir." 

The    man    discreetly    **' 
threshold  of  the  re- 

Wilbur  tu- 
to  him  ar 
crying 
troll' 


POPULAR  BOOKS  BY 
ARTHUR  HORNBLOW 

John   Marsh's    Millions  Rfth  Large  Edition 


a  young  girl,  heiress  to  millions,  to  protect 
her  rights. 

'  dramatic  situations." 

—  St.  Louis  Post-DispaUh. 

70th  Thousand 

-eat  play. 

'itions  in  the 


«and 

fa 


A     000106925     1 


